Madagascar Airlines caps domestic economy carry-on at just 5 kg. That is less than half the 12 kg allowed on its long haul routes. It catches travelers who fly into Antananarivo on an international ticket and then connect onward within the country.
The Madagascar Airlines baggage allowance changes sharply once a passenger switches from a long haul leg to a domestic hop. That domestic hop runs on Tsaradia, the brand that now handles the country’s regional network.
Who actually operates these flights
Madagascar Airlines formed in 2023 when Air Madagascar and its domestic arm Tsaradia merged into one carrier. Figures from old Air Madagascar pages are no longer reliable.
The merged airline publishes its own rules on madagascarairlines.com. This Madagascar Airlines baggage allowance page is checked against that source, not the predecessor brand.
Carry-on size and weight
The airline measures cabin bags by total linear size rather than three separate dimensions. Length, width and depth combined, including wheels and handles, must not exceed 105 cm.
That works out to about 41 inches. Weight depends on where the flight starts.
Domestic economy passengers get one bag up to 5 kg. Domestic business class gets 10 kg.
Long haul economy passengers get one cabin bag up to 12 kg. Long haul business passengers can bring two pieces totaling 18 kg.
Run your own bag through the size checker before you pack. A bag built for a US domestic flight often clears the linear limit but not the lighter domestic economy weight cap.
Personal item allowance
A small handbag, laptop bag or camera bag travels free alongside the cabin bag on every fare. The airline does not publish separate dimensions for this item.
Pack anything fragile or valuable in it rather than the main carry-on. Gate staff on smaller aircraft sometimes ask for cabin bags to be checked at the door.
Checked baggage
Domestic economy tickets include one checked bag up to 20 kg. Domestic business includes one bag up to 30 kg.
Long haul economy steps up to two bags of 23 kg each. That matches the 50 lb figure US travelers see on transatlantic carriers, and long haul business allows two bags of 32 kg each.
Every checked bag is capped at 158 cm, or 62 inches, in combined length, width and depth. That is the same linear limit used across most international carriers, so a bag sized for a US airline checked allowance should still fit here.
Fees and connections
Madagascar Airlines has not published a public fee schedule for extra, overweight or oversize bags. Travelers should confirm any charge at booking or check-in rather than guessing.
Use the baggage cost estimator to budget for a possible fee before you fly.
On a through ticket that connects with a partner airline, each operating carrier’s own baggage policy applies to its leg. That matters most for US travelers routing through Paris or Nairobi on a codeshare, since the connecting carrier can set the allowance for that segment.
What travelers actually report
Forum posts from Tsaradia passengers describe an airline that checks weight far more closely than dimensions. One traveler carrying a large rucksack and a normal medium carry-on reported no issues at check-in.
Staff tend to weigh bags at the counter but rarely pull out a sizer for the cabin bag. A slightly oversized bag under the weight limit tends to pass, while an underweight but heavy bag draws attention.
Packing for the domestic hop
Anyone connecting from a long haul flight onto a Tsaradia domestic segment should repack before that leg, not after landing. The 5 kg domestic economy carry-on limit is far tighter than what most US carriers allow.
Shift extra weight into a checked bag before departure. That avoids a scramble at a small regional counter.
Review the packing guide and the checked baggage rules for general strategies. These sit on top of the carrier specific limits above.
The bottom line
The Madagascar Airlines baggage allowance is generous on long haul routes and noticeably tighter on domestic ones. The two should never be assumed to match.
Confirm your fare type and weigh your cabin bag at home before relying on the Madagascar Airlines baggage allowance to hold at the gate. Check the airport security rules and what you can bring guide before packing for Madagascar.
For a broader look at how other regional carriers compare, see the full airline baggage directory.
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