Mishandled Airline Baggage Rates Climbed Last Year

A new study found that mishandled baggage rates around the world increased dramatically in 2021 as the airline industry worked to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the SITA Baggage IT Insights 2022 report, the global mishandled baggage rate spiked by 24 percent to 4.35 bags per thousand passengers in 2021, with transfer luggage the most mishandled.

Data showed that the resumption of international and long-haul flights has contributed to an increase in mishandling. Bags delayed at transfer climbed to 41 percent, a four percent increase from 2020. The mishandling rate on international routes is 8.7 percent, yet only 1.85 percent for domestic routes.

Delayed bags accounted for 71 percent of all mishandled bags in 2021, while the number of lost and stolen bags increased slightly to six percent, while those damaged and pilfered decreased to 23 percent.

“The industry now needs to do more with less,” SITA CEO David Lavorel said. “As we emerge from the pandemic, our customers’ focus remains on safely managing the end-to-end transport of passengers’ baggage, but now they must also reduce the total cost and training required.”

“There is significant pressure to increase operational efficiency, which is accelerating digitalization,” Lavorel continued.

Another issue SITA found that caused some mishandled baggage was airlines downsizing and furloughing employees, which reduced the resources and expertise dedicated to baggage management and ground handlers.

On a positive note, self-service initiatives increased in 2021, with most airports and airlines prioritizing touchless bag tagging options that rely on kiosks and passengers using their mobile devices.

In total, 90 percent of airlines plan to make touchless unassisted self-bag drops available by 2024.