Sita: Asia- Pacific seta global benchmark in baggage handling as air travel hits records, ET TravelWorld

Time of India

13-06-2025

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Asia-Pacific's aviation sector stood out globally in 2024, achieving the world's lowest mishandling rate at 3.1 bags per 1,000 passengers, a level it has consistently maintained over recent years. According to the newly released SITA Baggage IT Insights 2025, this steady performance highlights the strength of regional investment in automation, tracking, and baggage management, even as system complexity and passenger numbers continue to soar.The global picture also tells a story of progress. Despite an 8.2 per cent increase in worldwide traffic in 2024, the overall mishandling rate dropped to 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers, down from 6.9 the previous year and 67 per cent lower than in 2007. The total number of mishandled bags increased to 36.2 million, compared to 36.1 million the previous year.Of the 36.2 million mishandled bags, over 61 per cent (22.2 million) were resolved and closed in SITA WorldTracer ® within 48 hours, underscoring the industry's ability to quickly reunite passengers with their luggage. Specifically, 16 per cent were resolved within 12 hours, 38 per cent within 24 hours, and 46 per cent within 48 hours.But while these results show clear improvement, baggage mishandling still cost the industry an estimated $5 billion in 2024 and passengers are increasingly expecting more from the industry. The costs, from courier returns and customer service to claims handling and lost productivity, highlight the urgency of continued investment in real-time, automated, and data-driven baggage systems.'In air transport, transformation isn't a phase, it's the norm. The industry is constantly evolving, driven by technology, passenger expectations, and global change.' said David Lavorel , CEO of SITA. 'We've seen a radical shift with automation and the widespread use of real-time tracking. Passengers now expect their baggage experience to be as easy and transparent as using a rideshare or delivery app. It's no longer just about moving bags, it's about delivering a smooth, connected journey. Airlines are ready to tap into technology that improves the passenger experience while keeping costs down and being simple to roll out. Together with our partners, we're reimagining baggage handling to give passengers full visibility and control from departure to arrival, giving them peace of mind and making travel simpler and better.'Airports and airlines are now handling greater baggage volumes with more precision. Real-time tracking, AI-powered analytics, and self-service solutions are no longer experimental, they are becoming standard, and they are clearly having an effect. This shows the real impact of investing in smart, data-driven baggage systems.In 2024, 42 per cent of passengers had access to real-time baggage updates, up from 38 per cent the year before. Nearly half of travelers say mobile tracking would boost their confidence in checking in a bag, and 38 per cent value the addition of digital ID tags.Airlines have responded by prioritizing visibility across the baggage journey. Currently, 66 per cent offer automated bag drop, and another 16 per cent plan to by 2027. On the airport side, 65 per cent plan to roll out biometric self-service bag drop by the same year.One of the standout innovations in 2024 was the integration of Apple's Share Item Location feature with SITA WorldTracer ®. Passengers can share the location of their Apple AirTag with airlines, allowing quicker baggage recovery. British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas , Cathay, and Virgin Atlantic are among the adopters.This integration also powers WorldTracer 's Auto Reflight, which automatically reflights bags on the original bag tag, identifies the cause of mishandling, and begins resolution with no human intervention required.Delayed bags remain the most common issue, accounting for 74 per cent of mishandled baggage, down from 80 per cent in the previous year. Lost or stolen bags made up 8 per cent , while damaged or pilfered bags increased to 18 per cent , up from 15 per cent in 2023.Transfer mishandling was the biggest contributor at 41 per cent , showing improvement from 46 per cent the previous year. Tagging or ticketing errors, security issues, and similar factors rose slightly to 17 per cent (up 3 percentage points), while loading failures remained steady at 16 per cent . Operational issues such as customs delays, weather, or capacity constraints increased to 10 per cent , up from 8 per cent .'We're making progress, but baggage still causes stress,' said Nicole Hogg , Director of Baggage at SITA. 'Passengers want reassurance. The future of baggage is rapidly evolving with automation, computer vision, and mobile tools, we're making the experience much more reliable.'In 2025, the air transport industry approved the new Modern Baggage Messaging (MBM) standard. Designed to enhance data quality, MBM Version 2 is expected to reduce mishandling by another 5 per cent .These improvements build on IATA Resolution 753, which mandates baggage tracking at four key stages. The focus now is on using shared data to predict and prevent issues, not just report them.Airports like Red Sea International in Saudi Arabia are already implementing next-generation baggage solutions, including off-airport check-in and real-time tracking, powered by SITA Bag Journey 'Every bag matters,' Hogg added. 'This isn't just about reducing errors. It's about creating trust in the journey and the technology is clearly making that possible.'The SITA Baggage IT Insights 2025 report reflects the views and data of 280 airlines and IATA passenger traffic. SITA applies a weighting system, based on IATA passenger traffic statistics, to its WorldTracer® data to calculate the baggage mishandling rates.