The head of KM Malta Airlines has defended the new national carrier's reduced baggage allowance, saying it reflects "current practices adopted by other airlines".

David Curmi told Times of Malta that space restrictions on planes was among the reasons why the new airline, which replaces Air Malta from March, has changed its policy. 

The airline came under fire from some quarters when its website launched on Monday for replacing an automatic 10kg hand luggage allowance for all passengers with a tiered pricing system.

Passengers choosing the lowest tier will only be allowed to take a small 2kg bag, such as a handbag or small rucksack, on board. The allowance of 2kg is roughly the weight of a bag of 12 apples.

How KM Malta's new baggage policy compares with Air Malta's. Graphic: Christian Busuttil

Curmi said that KM Malta Airlines “will adopt a commercial strategy that is different to that which was adopted by Air Malta in the past”.

Curmi was previously Air Malta's executive chairperson.

This strategy, Curmi argued, is in line with the way the airline industry is evolving, offering passengers more flexibility in a context where “there are more passengers who are travelling for shorter but more frequent durations”.

He said that this approach “is where the whole short to medium haul airline market is moving to across the world” and will result in the new airline being “more aligned with carriers operating within Europe and to and from Malta.

He also pointed to the space restrictions on planes as a factor in the decision to “limit the expectation of free onboard bags for all”.

A typical plane operated by the airline can only carry “between 60 to 70 trolley bags”, far fewer than the 168 seats on board, Curmi said.

The airline’s baggage policy, Curmi argued, will “reduce issues of excess baggage upon boarding the aircraft and avoid abuse of the cabin baggage entitlements”.

Curmi also addressed an issue flagged by the public where customers were unable to book flights to Vienna, despite the city appearing to on the airline’s list of destinations.

This was caused by a technical issue which caused Vienna to temporarily “drop out of the system”, Curmi said. The issue has been resolved and this route can now be booked, he added.