Violinist refused boarding by airline after declining to check in ‘rare’ Stradivarius
8 September 2025, 17:29
The musician and his wife were refused boarding until they rearranged their instruments.
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An airline denied boarding to a violinist who refused to check in his “rare and irreplaceable” Stradivari violin.
Patrick Roberts joins a list of musicians who have faced difficulties when travelling with a precious instrument, when he was flying from Paris to Milan to perform at a concert in Lake Como.
When he and his wife arrived at the airport, they were told that the flight was overbooked and they would need to return later, and when they did, a representative from the airline Transavia told Roberts that he could not board with his Golden Period Stradivari violin, insisting the violin must be checked into the aircraft hold.
When Roberts declined to check in the instrument – which is currently on loan from an anonymous donor – he and his wife were sent back with their luggage and rejected from check-in.
Read more: Long-lost ‘Mendelssohn’ Stradivarius violin taken in Nazi Germany has been traced in Japan
Roberts told The Strad that he was shaken by the event, and was shocked “not only the impracticality of the airline’s stance, but also the complete lack of empathy shown by Transavia staff”.
“There was no concern expressed for the safety of such a rare and irreplaceable instrument, nor any acknowledgement of the distress caused”, he added.
In order for him to board, Roberts eventually moved the Stradivari violin into a different case, and carried his other violin in his arms throughout the flight, while checking in his bows to the hold.
Read more: What’s so good about Stradivarius violins?
Stradivari violins are known for being some of the best violins on the market due to the size of the ‘f’ holes on the front of the instrument, their unique varnish recipe and a possible mystery ingredient in the wood.
The most expensive violin in the world is the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivari from 1721, which sold for about 11.6 million euros at a charity auction and the proceeds went to the victims of the earthquake in Japan.
