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Luggage image via Shutterstock
# Lost luggage
53% drop in rate of mishandled luggage in last six years
However the total number of mishandled bags was 26.04 million, up from 25.8 million in 2011.
AIRLINE BAGGAGE HANDLING has improved around the world in the last year with the rate of mishandling dropping almost 2 per cent, according to a report released today.
The latest SITA Baggage Report shows that 8.83 bags per thousand passengers were mishandled in 2012, down from 8.99 last year – a drop of 53.2 per cent in the last six years. The total number of mishandled bags was 26.04 million, up from 25.8 million in 2011.
However during this time, passenger numbers also increased by 4.5 per cent, which the report said “inevitable increases pressure on airport baggage operations”.
Delayed bags, accounted for 82.9 per cent of all mishandled bags, down from 2011. Damaged or pilfered bags represented 12.9 per cent of mishandled bags, while 4.2 per cent were reported lost or stolen.
The main reason for delayed bags was transfer mishandling at 48 per cent with failure to load following behind at 17 per cent.
SITA said that overall the industry is focusing on improving baggage transfers between flights with a fall of 9 per cent from last year in the proportion of all mishandled bags transfer failures.
Commenting today, CEO of SITA Francesco Violante said effective bag management “plays an important role in improving passenger satisfaction and contributing to the overall passenger experience”.
“With the number of air passengers expected to reach more than 3.6 billion by 2016, we need to continue to work together to improve baggage handling operations,” he said.
Read: UPDATE: Aviation source criticises Ryanair’s baggage policy>
Read: MEPs urge Commission to draft rules for carry-on luggage>
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