Asia Pacific Sets A Global Benchmark In Baggage Handling

SITA report shows the Asia Pacific region maintained the lowest baggage mishandling rate in the world in 2024, reinforcing its status as a global leader in brilliant baggage performance despite historic passenger volumes.

Asia Pacific's aviation sector stood out globally in 2024, achieving the world's lowest mishandling rate at 3.1 bags per 1000 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 soar.

The 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 1000 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 year.

Of the 36.2 million mishandled bags, over 61 per cent were resolved and closed in SITA WorldTracer within 48 hours, underscoring the industry's ability to reunite passengers with their luggage quickly. Specifically, 16 per cent were resolved within 12 hours, 38 per cent within 24 hours and 46 per cent within 48 hours. However, while these reports show apparent improvement, baggage mishandling still costs 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, a phase is the norm. The industry is constantly evolving, driven by technology, passenger expectations and global change, said David Lavore, the CEO of SITA. "We have 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 is no longer just about moving bags but 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. With our partners, we are 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."

 Tech maturity, not experimentation

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 have an effect. This shows the real impact of investing in innovative, data-driven baggage systems. In 2024, 42 per cent of passengers had access to real-time baggage updates, up from 38 per cent the year before. Nearly half of the travellers say mobile tracking boosts their confidence when checking in a bag, and 38 per cent value digital ID tags. Airlines have responded by prioritising visibility across the baggage journey. Currently, 66 per cent offer automated bag drop, and another 16 per cent plan to do so by 2027. On the airport side, 63 per cent plan to roll out biometric self-service bag drops by the same year.

 A partnership between tech and trust

One of the standout innovations in 2024 was integrating Apple's Share Item Location feature with SITA World Tracer. Passengers can share the location of their Apple AirTags with airlines, allowing quicker baggage recovery. British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas, Cathay, and Virgin Atlantic are among the adopters. This integration also powers WorldTracer's Auto Reflight, which automatically reflights bags in the original bag tag, identifies the cause of mishandling, and begins resolving the issue with no human intervention needed.

 Where most bags go missing and how the industry is responding

Delayed 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 2023. Transfer mishandling was the most significant 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, while loading facilities 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 are 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 are making the experience much more reliable."

 New standards aim to cut mishandling further

In 2025, the air transport industry approved the new Modern Baggage Messaging standard. Designed to enhance data quality, MBM Version 2 is expected to reduce mishandling by another 5%. These improvements are built into IATA Resolution 753, which mandates baggage tracking at four key stages. The focus now is on shared data to prevent issues, not just reporting them.

 Baggage as a service, not a challenge

Airports 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 technology makes that possible."

The SITA Baggage IT Insights 2025 report reflects the views and data of 280 airlines and IATA passenger traffic. SITA applies a weighing system based on IATA passenger traffic statistics to its WorldTracer data to calculate the baggage mishandling rates.

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