Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
In Tuesday’s (11/7) Classic FM, Maddy Shaw Roberts writes, “A few months ago, Sheku Kanneh-Mason hit out at British Airways for barring him from boarding with his cello. Now, the British cellist has renewed his call for better airline protocol, for musicians travelling with their instruments…. Kanneh-Mason said … ‘It’s as simple as having a more efficient and consistent approach.’ In September, the British cellist was blocked from boarding a BA flight, despite arriving early and booking two seats—one for himself, one for his instrument, a prized 1700 Matteo Gofriller cello. Kanneh-Mason had to book a new flight home from Bucharest, where he had been performing alongside the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, to London Heathrow, that he said cost ‘three times as much.’… Unions including the Musicians’ Union are now calling on ministers to review the rules around travelling with instruments, after their members have reported ‘significant loss of earnings.’ In the U.K., protocol currently differs from carrier to carrier. Benoît Machuel from the International Federation of Musicians says unpredictability is the biggest issue … In response to the call for better protocol, a BA spokesperson said: ‘We are speaking with our third-party handling agent to ensure this doesn’t happen again.’ ”
