Andrew Newton: Move to relax rules sounds a sweet note THE European Commission may not often put a musical spring in our step, but newly proposed legislation from Brussels might do just that. Proposed amendments to regulation 261/2004 regarding assistance and compensation for airline passengers includes clarification over musical instruments. Ambiguity over the rules has caused headaches for travelling musicians in recent years. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, most of the big airlines introduced rules refusing to carry musical instruments in the cabin, offering instead to transport them in the hold. For a professional classical musician, whose instruments can be worth up to £500,000, this created a huge problem. Placing a highly sensitive instrument in the cold and sometimes humid conditions of a hold can do real damage. The rules did prevent some orchestras from embarking on international tours. Several years ago, a major US philharmonic orchestra cancelled a 28-concert European tour, including performances at the Proms and the Edinburgh International Festival, citing instrument transporting restrictions as the key reason. While the restrictions have been relaxed in recent years, there remains confusion about the rules. While many musicians are prepared to book an extra seat, especially for a larger instrument, there have been cases where they have still been instructed by airline officials to send their instrument to the cargo hold even after paying for an extra seat. In the wake of these developments, the International Federation of Musicians launched a petition to gain clarity over the rules. In support of this petition we lobbied the EC, underlining how this decision by the airlines exposed a real lack of understanding and empathy towards the arts. While not perfect, the new European Union legislation looks like a welcome step forward, one that will give further clarity and make it easier to transport instruments on airlines. This should help to reduce barriers, making it easier for top international musicians to travel the globe. This is news that should prove to be music to our ears. Andrew Newton is head of corporate travel at Colpitts World Travel.