It is a 19th century violin worth more than $200,000, but Canberra Qantas staff refused to allow it with its protective case on to a Brisbane-bound flight on Friday.
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So the violin had to be placed on the aircraft floor during take off and landing, exposing it to the potential of serious damage.
The violin was being taken to Brisbane by senior lecturer in violin and viola at the ANU School of Music, Tor Fromyhr.
''Thankfully the violin survived the ordeal on this occasion and the rehearsal of the Bartok concerto went very well,'' a relieved Fromyhr said at Canberra Airport yesterday.
There had been no objection at baggage check-in to his carrying the violin in its case on to the aircraft. But on the air bridge he had been told the case was not permitted in the cabin. The only alternative offered by a supervisor had been to book seats for himself and the violin on a later flight. He would have missed the rehearsal, so reluctantly removed the violin from its protective case, which was stored under the aircraft with passenger luggage.
''I have travelled with this particular case for 20 years nationally and internationally, hundreds of times,'' he said. ''This is the first time I have had this issue. It was unthinkable to treat an instrument this way, by putting it on the floor during take off and landing.
''I had to hold it between my shoes. The fragility of these instruments is extreme.''
The Degani violin, made in Italy, is 120 years old.
''If I was going against their [Qantas] regulations I, would accept that.'' He believed Qantas staff had misinterpreted the company's policy. Late last year, Qantas amended its carry-on baggage policy for musical instruments. It now says people travelling on international and domestic services can carry any musical instrument in its hard-shell case provided it does not exceed 130cm linear dimensions or weigh more than 7kg.
Fromyhr said the linear measurement of the violin case was 122cm. It had easily fitted into the overhead locker on his return flight yesterday, when there had been no objection by Qantas staff. On Friday, staff had not measured the case but had checked it in a baggage measuring device. It seemed they had included the circumference of the case when calculating its linear measurement.
''Apart from the risk of damage to my valuable instrument, I was seriously embarrassed, angry and stressed by this Qantas action in a public environment,'' Fromyhr said.
He said carriage of valuable instruments had been the subject of much debate in recent years. It had been resolved with Qantas publishing current regulations on its website .
Qantas did not respond to inquiries by The Canberra Times yesterday.
