SITA’s 2010 Baggage Report has shown a 23.8 per cent fall in mishandled passenger baggage last year, saving the airline industry US$460m (A$494m).
“Some of the decline can be attributed to fewer passengers travelling last year but the 2.9 per cent decline in passenger numbers is still far smaller than the 23.8 per cent decline in mishandled baggage,” said SITA CEO Francesco Violante. “Improvements in baggage handling systems and passengers checking in fewer bags to avoid extra fees have also contributed to the overall decline.”
The report showed that the biggest source of mishandled baggage was during aircraft transfers, which accounted for 52 per cent of missing baggage claims. A further 13 per cent were attributed to ticketing error, bag switching and security, while only three per cent of missing bags were attributed to tagging errors.
