Congressman Lauds New FAA Rule Allowing Instruments As Carry-Ons

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper is lauding an announcement by the Federal Aviation Admiration that a new rule will allow musicians to carry instruments on board airplanes instead of making them check them in the cargo hold.

Cooper, a Nashville Democrat, says he and Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander have long pressed for more protections for musicians on planes.

Cooper says the new rule will help them avoid risk of damage or loss of their instruments by storing them in overhead bins or beneath seats.

The new rule goes into effect on March 1 and applies to scheduled and charter flights operated by U.S. carriers both domestically and abroad.