Every Second Counts During an Evacuation  

Passengers taking baggage during aircraft evacuations is not a new issue. But videos and reports shared across social and mainstream media continue to show that the risk remains real.

Despite clear crew instructions, some passengers still stop to collect bags, phones, or other personal items. In an evacuation, this can block aisles and exits, slow other passengers, damage evacuation slides and put lives at risk.

In an aircraft evacuation, every second counts. Passengers must listen to crew, move quickly, and leave all belongings behind.

That is why IATA has launched Save a Life, Not a Bag, a passenger safety campaign supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to raise awareness of safe emergency evacuation behavior.

Six Safety Behaviors Every Passenger Should Remember

 

In the unlikely event of an aircraft evacuation:

  1. Pay Attention to Crew Instructions: During an emergency, cabin crew are trained to guide passengers to safety. Listening carefully and responding immediately can save valuable time.
  2. Leave All Baggage Behind: Stopping to retrieve luggage delays everyone behind you. Even a few seconds can make a critical difference during an evacuation.
  3. Don’t Film or Photograph: Using phones or stopping to record events can create dangerous congestion and distract passengers from evacuating quickly.
  4. Keep Aisles and Exits Clear: Large bags and carry-ons can obstruct aisles and emergency exits, slowing down the evacuation process for everyone onboard.
  5. Don’t Take Bags onto Evacuation Slides: Bringing hard or wheeled luggage onto evacuation slides can damage equipment and seriously injure passengers.
  6. Be Prepared: Keep essential small personal items, such as medication, passports, or keys, secured on your person whenever possible. Preparation helps avoid delays in an emergency.

 

Want to help spread the message

Download our Passenger Evacuation leaflet (pdf) for a simple guide to the 6 safety rules that can help save valuable seconds during an emergency evacuation.

Penguin falling with luggage

Passenger Research

 

IATA passenger research shows a clear gap between what passengers think they know and what they would do in an emergency.

  • 80% of passengers said they know what to do in an emergency.
  • But only 61% correctly said that they should leave everything behind.
  • That means nearly 4 in 10 passengers did not choose the safest action.
  • The research also found that 60% of passengers said they would be less likely to take baggage if essential items were already secured on their person.

To support this effort, IATA has developed multilingual digital resources that airlines and aviation partners can easily share across websites, apps, social media, and passenger communications. These materials, developed with input from human behavior specialists, provide simple, memorable guidance to help passengers make safer decisions during an evacuation.

Watch the Evacuation Safety Series

The short animations below highlight common evacuation mistakes and demonstrate the actions passengers should take instead during an emergency.

Spread the word and make evacuations safer!

 

Help share these safety messages, because every second counts, and safer evacuations start with informed passengers. Save a life, not a bag.