As air travel continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines and airports are facing a new challenge: a rise in mishandled luggage. According to the 2022 Baggage Insights report by SITA, 9.9 million bags were lost or misdirected in 2021, a 24% increase from the previous year.
The increase in mishandled luggage is attributed to two main factors: workforce cutbacks and the lack of digital alternatives at many airports. As airlines, handling agents, and airports downsized during the pandemic, they left themselves with lean headcounts, making it difficult to manage baggage effectively.
David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, notes that the shortage of resources and expertise dedicated to baggage management may lead to even higher baggage mishandling rates in the future. "Airlines, ground handlers, and airports all downsized, making do with less in order to maintain viability during the pandemic. However, this led to a shortage of resources and expertise dedicated to baggage management and, if unaddressed, may see baggage mishandling rates much higher than in pre-pandemic times," he says.
While the number of mishandled bags is still lower than the 2007 record of 46.9 million, there are concerns that the numbers could easily surpass the 25.4 million bags mishandled in 2019. SITA notes that the pressure to conserve cash while maintaining efficiency has driven a growing number of airlines and airports to adopt digital solutions, although Africa still lags behind in this.
According to SITA, 90% of airlines and 75% of airports plan to introduce touchless, unassisted self-bag drops kiosks and passengers' mobile devices by 2024.
