Aviation sector saves US$18bn in lost baggage
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The global air transport industry has cut the rate of mishandled baggage by 61.3% since 2007, resulting in an estimated US$18 billion in cost savings, a new report has revealed.
According to the SITA 2015 Baggage Report, which was released this week, the rate of mishandled luggage in 2014 was 7.3 bags per thousand passengers, down from a peak of 18.88 bags per thousand passengers in 2007. This decline comes despite a significant rise in passenger numbers over the same time period.
The rate of baggage mishandling did increase in 2014 however, from the all-time low of 6.96 achieved in 2013.
“This improvement in baggage handling over the past seven years is largely a result of strong technology investment and innovation in baggage systems automation and processes,” explained Francesco Violante, CEO of aviation IT company, SITA.
“However, rising passenger numbers will continue to place pressure on baggage infrastructure and processes, so the industry cannot afford to become complacent. With IATA forecasting continued passenger growth of around 7% in 2015, all industry partners will need to continue to invest, collaborate and focus on baggage management.”
More than 80% of the mishandled bags in 2014 were delayed, with transfers between connecting flights the leading cause of late delivery. Transfer bags accounted for 49% of all delayed bags – 11.81 million in total – but the majority of luggage was reunited with passengers within one to two days.
And airlines are continuing to invest in baggage technology. By 2017, around 69% of airlines said they would provide passengers with real-time updates on the location of their bags, with 66% looking to provide these updates via smartphone apps.
Around 18% of airlines already offer passengers the ability to report missing bags via self-service kiosks and 10% via smartphone apps, and by 2017 nearly two thirds of airlines expect to offer these services.
A new IATA resolution, which comes into effect in 2018, will require all airlines to “maintain an accurate inventory of baggage by monitoring the acquisition and delivery of baggage.”
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