Overview

• SAFO 25003, issued September 16, calls out recurring noncompliance by passengers who try to take carry-ons during emergency evacuations.
• The FAA urges operators to re-evaluate procedures, crew training, announcements and commands so passengers clearly understand they must leave all belongings behind.
• The agency warns that baggage retrieval slows egress, raises injury risk, can damage slides and may push evacuation times beyond survivability thresholds.
• The push follows several widely seen evacuations this year where travelers exited with luggage, including incidents in Denver, Orlando, Toronto and a large diversion in San Diego.
• The alert is guidance rather than regulation, with airlines expected to update safety demos, cards, signage and SMS processes as labor groups reiterate calls to follow crew instructions.