Dubai: India's national carrier Air India and its budget airline will restrict the weight of hand luggage carried by passengers from the UAE from July 1.

The free allowance for hand luggage will be strictly restricted to 8kg for Air India and 7kg for its budget airline Air India Express inclusive of duty free items.

Also, the carry-on bags will be weighed at the gates before passengers board the flights, a senior airline official was quoted as saying by The Khaleej Times.

"If the baggage weighs more than the free allowance, a fee of 60 Dirhams ($16) per excess kilograms would be charged at the gate," said Prem Sagar, manager of Air India and Air India Express in Dubai and Sharjah.

This is introduced at the peak time of summer travel from the UAE, Sagar said most other airlines flying to India have already been charging excess carry-on baggage at the gates.

"The baggage weighing at the gates policy will begin with flights from Sharjah on July 1. There could be a delay of a few more days to start it in Dubai," he said.

"Passenger hand baggage is usually assumed as 7 or 8 kgs whereas there are people who sometimes carry 10-15kgs extra.

That's not something good for the aircraft's safety.

"It is basically to dissuade people from carrying too much of excess weight and ensure that the weight is properly recorded for the safety of the aircraft," he said.