Life & Style | People
Tracking missing bags at airports
A good baggage system plays a major role in the success of an airport. After the failure of the baggage system at London Heathrow this year, the issue of mishandled baggage has attracted greater attention. Jihad Boueri explains why the problem needs to be addressed urgently.
- By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:25 October 5, 2008
- Jihad Boueri, Regional director, Middle East and Turkey, SITA.
- Image Credit: Press Release
Gulf News: Investing in baggage systems at airports is considered somewhat secondary to aircraft cabin facilities, but no amount of in-flight luxury can make up for the inconvenience caused when your bags go missing or arrive late. What is needed to ensure that the baggage segment no longer remains the Cinderella of the aviation industry?
Boueri:: The statement is very true. Around the world, baggage handling systems are beginning to buckle under the strain of ever-greater demands, with an average of over 115,000 bags mishandled on any given day last year. This means 80 bags a minute are being mishandled. The cost to the industry, at an average of $90 per mishandled bag still came to a worrying $3.8 billion last year - a sum the industry can ill afford to lose.
SITA believes the problem can be brought down substantially with improved baggage traceability and better passenger disruption management. Examples could include using technologies such as self-service baggage tracing - via kiosks or online - to help passengers know exactly where their bags are at any time, or relaying mishandled baggage information directly to passengers via mobile phones.
Gulf News: Gulf cities such as Dubai, Doha, Manama and Abu Dhabi are developing themselves as transportation hubs. How important is it for them to ensure that transfer passengers arrive at their destinations with their bags?
Boueri: A good baggage system plays a major role in the success of an airport aiming to become a hub, mainly in the competitive environment in the Gulf. The airports you have mentioned are in the same region and geographically close. One of the main competitive advantages for any of them is the reliability of the baggage system. The trust in the baggage systems and facilities adopted at any airport attracts airlines and passengers to select this airport as a hub.
Gulf News: Is the problem of missing bags and delays growing in line with rising passengers?
Boueri: Mishandled baggage is a very serious problem. It is bad for the traveller - wasted time, wasted money - and terrible for airlines and airports. Lost and mishandled baggage costs the industry billions every year, and the situation continues to worsen.
The problem of mishandled baggage is not going away any time soon. Indeed, it is likely to get worse before it gets better: Annual passenger numbers are expected to reach 2.75 billion by 2011 and even at today's lost and mishandled baggage rates, that implies well over 50 million mishandled bags a year.
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