The airline industry’s renewed focus and investment in bag tracking in the last few years is paying off.
According to a report by aviation tech firm SITA, the rate of mishandled baggage was down 10.5% in 2015, to its lowest ever level.
The SITA Baggage Report 2016 says 6.5 bags per thousand passengers were mishandled, which is less than half the rate in 2003.
That is despite a rise of 85% in overall passenger numbers since then with more than 3.5 billion passengers now traveling by air.
The International Air Transport Association is introducing IATA Resolution 753 by 2018, which means all bags will be tracked at every point of the journey.
"Over the next three years bag tracking will be in the spotlight as airlines ready themselves to implement IATA’s Resolution 753. This increase in visibility will provide more control and drive further improvements in bag handling," said Francesco Violante, CEO of SITA.
"It also means that passengers will be able track their bag, just like a parcel, which will reduce anxiety and allow them to take fast action if flights are disrupted and their bags are delayed."
SITA also highlights in the report the growing trend of self-service bag services.
It said 40% of airlines and airports offer self-bag-tag printing and this will grow to about 75% by 2018.
Violante added: "The baggage statistics for 2015 are very encouraging, however in total, mishandled bags still cost the industry $2.3 billion last year. While this is a 3.75% reduction from 2014 it is clear that this must remain an area of focus for the industry."
SITA partners with more than 200 airports and 500 airlines globally on its baggage management solutions which includes its proprietary BagMessage system and WorldTracer tracking system.
