Latest news with #SITA
West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Lost bag rate improves as passenger traffic soars
In good news for airline passengers, the rate of mishandled baggage is coming down despite air traffic reaching record levels, with technology and automation increasingly playing a role. The latest Baggage IT Insights report by air transport IT provider SITA, based on data from 280 airlines, shows that the mishandling rate dropped to 6.3 bags per 1000 passengers in 2024, down from 6.9 the previous year and a 67 per cent improvement since 2007. The improvement comes despite 2024 being a record-breaking year for air travel, with global passenger numbers reaching 5.3 billion. SITA reports 33.4 million bags were mishandled in 2024, with 22 million of these or 66 per cent resolved by SITA's WorldTracer global baggage tracing and matching system within 48 hours. Of the 22 million, 25 per cent were resolved within 12 hours, 38 per cent within 24 hours and 37 per cent within 48 hours. Delayed bags are the most common issue, accounting for 74 per cent of mishandled baggage, down from 80 per cent the previous year, followed by lost or stolen bags at 8 per cent, while damaged or pilfered bags increased from 15 per cent in 2023 to 18 per cent in 2024. Transfer mishandling was the biggest cause of the problem, accounting for 41 per cent of incidents, an improvement on 46 per cent the previous year. Tagging or ticketing errors, security issues and similar factors rose slightly to 17 per cent — up three percentage points — while loading failures remained steady at 16 per cent. Operational issues including customs delays, weather and capacity constraints increased to 10 per cent from 8 per cent in 2023. The Asia-Pacific region has the best baggage report card, with just 3.1 mishandled bags per 1000 passengers, while North America improved to 5.5 bags per 1000 passengers. Europe improved its performance, but still reported 12.3 mishandled bags per 1000 passengers. 'We're making progress, but baggage still causes stress,' says Nicole Hogg, director of baggage at SITA. Lost baggage cost the airline industry an estimated $US5 billion ($7.6b) in 2024, with airlines and airports turning to new technology to bring this figure down and to meet passengers' growing service expectations. '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,' says David Lavorel, SITA CEO. Real-time tracking, artificial intelligence-powered analytics and self-service solutions are all having a positive effect, according to SITA. In 2024, 42 per cent of passengers had access to real-time baggage updates, up from 38 per cent in 2023. Nearly half of travellers questioned say mobile tracking would boost their confidence in checking in a bag, while 38 per cent value the addition of digital ID tags. In response, airlines are making the baggage journey more visible, with 66 per cent offering automated bag drop and a further 16 per cent planning to do so by 2027. SITA highlights the integration of Apple's Share Item Location feature with SITA WorldTracer as a game changer. Airlines including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Qantas and Virgin Atlantic are among those that have adopted the feature, allowing passengers to share the location of their Apple AirTag with airlines, enabling quicker baggage recovery. A new Modern Baggage Messaging standard was recently approved by the air transport industry, which is expected to enhance data quality and reduce baggage mishandling by a further 5 per cent. 'Every bag matters. This isn't just about reducing errors, it's about creating trust in the journey, and the technology is clearly making that possible,' says Hogg.
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
The emotional journey of lost luggage: Stories of reunion and heartbreak
For countless passengers, the excitement of travel is often laced with anxiety about their bags. Image: Pexels/Nappy The airport - a bustling nexus of dreams and departures - can also be the site of emotional turmoil when luggage goes missing. For countless passengers, the excitement of travel is often laced with anxiety about their bags. While some stories celebrate joyous reunions, others reflect the heartbreak of lost belongings, highlighting the human experience that can easily get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of air travel. According to recent findings from SITA, the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology, 5.3 billion passengers travelled by air in 2024, marking an 8.2% increase from 2023. As passenger numbers rose, so did the volume of checked luggage; however, the global rate of mishandled luggage has seen significant improvement, dropping to 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers, down from 6.9 in 2023. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Particularly in the Africa - Middle East region, the rate stood at an impressive 6.02 bags per 1,000 passengers. These statistics point towards a remarkable 67% improvement in luggage handling since 2007, showcasing the effectiveness of advanced technologies such as SITA's WorldTracer. In 2024 alone, over 33.4 million bags were mishandled, but more than 66% were resolved within 48 hours. Airlines invested over $5 billion in tracing and reconciling baggage, a commitment to addressing the growing demands of air travel. However, behind the numbers lie personal narratives that illustrate the emotional stakes involved. One such story is that of Thembi Basi, who shared her harrowing experience on TikTok after her luggage got stuck in Johannesburg while she flew to Cape Town. The chaos of the baggage claim escalated her stress as she faced the prospect of missing out on her holiday plans. Her travels were intertwined with her birthday celebrations, adding to the urgency of the situation. Thankfully, Basi's suitcase was found, allowing her to enjoy her trip, albeit with plans for an AirTag on her next journey for peace of mind. After two canceled Southwest flights, Patrick Keane was finally reunited with his bag at Midway, and he let the entire airport know how it felt. @cbschicago — Noel Brennan (@Noeltbrennan) December 28, 2022 Across the ocean, Patrick Keane's viral video documented his cheerfulness when he was finally reunited with his lost suitcase after enduring 17 hours stranded at Denver International Airport. His joyous scream and energetic leap on the baggage carousel resonated with viewers, underscoring the intense relief and celebration that comes with finding a lost bag. Comments poured in, with many empathising with Keane's plight, displaying a collective understanding of the emotional rollercoaster that mislaid luggage can cause. Conversely, Bianca Beemer's ordeal serves as a cautionary tale. Moving from Toronto to Berlin, Beemer lost nearly all she owned in a checked bag, valued at around $7,000 (approximately R125,000). Despite her optimism, she's still grappling with the absence of her belongings four months later, detailing her struggle with airlines in search of answers on TikTok. The emotional weight of this situation - losing your entire life's worth of belongings during a significant transition - is a stark reminder of how critical our possessions can be in our lives. I got my bag!!! @British_Airways even though I had to drive 2hours to the courier depot because they just didn't deliver my bag to my address after changing the delivery times every hour keeping me on edge and not knowing how to move 'incase' they showed up which they never did.… — Minnie Dlamini (@MinnieDlamini) July 15, 2024 South Africa's own Minnie Dlamini recently faced a frustrating experience with British Airways when her luggage failed to arrive on her birthday trip to London. Landing without her belongings disrupted her plans, and despite numerous attempts to retrieve them, the bags didn't arrive until the final hours of her trip. These stories, though varied, echo a common sentiment - that luggage is not just a collection of garments but a storage of memories and essentials that accompany us on our journeys. While the statistics illustrate improvements in baggage handling, the emotional ramifications of lost luggage reveal a deeper connection we share with our belongings.
CairoScene
6 days ago
- Business
- CairoScene
Egypt Introduces Smart Baggage Tech as 11 Airports Undergo AI Overhaul
Egypt is modernising 11 airports with smart baggage systems and AI oversight to reduce mishandling and improve passenger flow. Jun 17, 2025 Egypt's plans to modernise 11 of its major airports are accelerating with the rollout of smart baggage handling systems and AI-driven analytics. The upgrades aim to streamline check-in and baggage operations, reduce mishandling, and improve real-time tracking for millions of travellers. At the heart of the transformation is Cairo's newly launched Smart Control Centre, which enables live monitoring of airport operations and enhances coordination across terminals. Supporting the shift, EgyptAir has signed a major network upgrade agreement with aviation technology provider SITA, whose AI tools are powering much of the new infrastructure. The initiative is part of a broader collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, which is helping Egypt attract private investment through public-private partnerships focused on infrastructure and service upgrades. According to SITA's 2025 industry report, airports in the Middle East and Africa maintained one of the world's lowest rates of mishandled bags in 2024—just 6.02 per 1,000 passengers—despite rising travel demand. With global baggage mishandling still costing airlines USD 5 billion annually, Egypt's efforts to implement smarter systems reflect a wider push to improve travel reliability and reduce costly inefficiencies.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sita: Asia- Pacific seta global benchmark in baggage handling as air travel hits records, ET TravelWorld
Advt Advt By , ETTravelWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETTravelWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETTravelWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Arabian Business
12-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Middle East airports outperform as airlines face $5bn baggage challenge
Baggage mishandling costs the aviation industry an estimated $5bn a year, according to air transport sector IT provider SITA. The Middle East and Africa's air transport sector delivered one of the world's top baggage performances in 2024, according to the newly released SITA Baggage IT Insights 2025. Despite growing passenger volumes, the region maintained a low mishandling rate of 6.02 bags per 1,000 passengers, up slightly from 4.5 in 2023, yet still outperforming most global regions. Middle East airlines baggage handling This mirrors a global trend of improvement, with the worldwide baggage mishandling rate dropping to 6.3 per 1,000 passengers in 2024, compared to 6.9 in 2023—marking a 67 per cent reduction since 2007. This came amid an 8.2 per cent rise in global air traffic. Of the 33.4 million mishandled bags worldwide, over 66 per cent were resolved within 48 hours, showcasing significant advances in real-time tracking and automated resolution. Airlines and airports across the globe are increasingly turning to smart, data-driven baggage systems, with 42 per cent of passengers receiving real-time baggage updates in 2024, up from 38 per cent the year before. Nearly half of travellers said mobile tracking would boost confidence in checking bags, while 38 per cent favour digital ID tags. Key industry investments include: 66 per cent of airlines now offering automated bag drop 65 per cent of airports planning biometric self-service bag drop by 2027 New integration with Apple's Share Item Location for faster bag location and resolution The most common issue remains delays, accounting for 74 per cent of mishandled bags, down from 80 per cent in 2023. Damaged or pilfered luggage increased to 18 per cent, while lost or stolen bags held steady at 8 per cent. Contributing factors in mishandling include: Transfer mishandling (41 per cent) – improved from 46 per cent last year Tagging errors, security and misrouting (17 per cent) – up 3 percentage points Loading failures (16 per cent) – steady Operational issues like weather or customs (10 per cent) – up from 8 per cent The release of Modern Baggage Messaging (MBM) Version 2 in 2025 aims to reduce mishandling by an additional 5 per cent, enhancing real-time data quality across the sector. Airports like Red Sea International in Saudi Arabia are already leading with futuristic solutions including off-airport check-in and real-time tracking powered by SITA Bag Journey. Nicole Hogg, Director of Baggage at SITA, said: 'We're making progress, but baggage still causes stress. 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.' David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, said: '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'.
