Amjad Ali Khan Flags Missing Baggage, Appeals To British Airways As US Tour Faces Disruption

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan has appealed to British Airways for urgent help after six pieces of baggage containing musical instruments went missing during his ongoing tour of the United States. The musician said the delay could affect his scheduled performances and professional commitments, as the instruments are essential to his work.

Khan raised the issue on X on Friday morning, tagging the airline in two posts and asking it to locate and deliver the baggage. He said he and his team were facing difficulties because they did not have the instruments required for their performances.

Amjad Ali Khan appeals to British Airways

In his first post, shared at 6:26 am, Khan wrote: "Dear @British_Airways, we are currently on tour in the US, and our musical instruments are essential to our performances. We urgently need our six delayed baggage pieces containing our instruments delivered ASAP (sic),"

He followed it with another appeal, stressing the urgency of the situation. "Please treat this as an urgent priority, as our upcoming performances and professional commitments depend on them. We request your immediate attention and assistance in locating and delivering our baggage. Please help us resolve this urgently," he added.

There was no immediate confirmation of a response from British Airways. It was also unclear where the baggage had been delayed or whether Khan and his team had received their instruments by the time of publication.

A look at Amjad Ali Khan's musical career

Amjad Ali Khan is among India's best-known Hindustani classical musicians and a leading exponent of the sarod. A sixth-generation musician of the Senia Bangash Gharana, he has performed at prestigious international venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Sydney Opera House.

He has composed several original ragas, including Kiran Ranjani, Haripriya Kanada, Shivanjali, Suhag Bhairav and Bapukauns. His composition Bapukauns earned him the Gandhi-UNESCO Medal in 1995, while his album Raga Bhairav featured among BBC Magazine's 50 best classical albums of 1995.

His honours include the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, awarded in 1975, 1991 and 2001 respectively. He has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Fellowship, the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award and France's Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.