500 signatures reached
To: British Airways
BA must respect musicians and replace N'Faly Kouyaté's damaged Kora
International musician N'Faly Kouyaté has suffered serious damage to his precious, hand made Kora (African Harp) due to bad handling by British Airways when his instrument was confiscated and transferred to the main hold of the plane. We believe BA owes an apology and full financial reimbursement for a replacement Kora and loss of earnings for gig cancellations.
Why is this important?
Since posting on social media about his experience, it has become clear that he is not the first musician to encounter muddled and conflicting implementation of policies when boarding BA flights with expensive, delicate and sometimes rare instruments. We call for BA to clarify their policies and publish the so called 'recent change in the law' regarding the transportation of musical instruments in the cabin quoted by their ground staff. We also urge BA to ensure all staff are properly trained to understand the needs of international musicians travelling with specialist instruments and baggage handling crews are taught safe handling procedures. Unless the safety of their instruments is guaranteed, musicians will increasingly avoid using BA flights for international work.
