Airports
Digitalization reducing baggage woes
June 1st 2025
The good news for Asia-Pacific air travellers compared to elsewhere in the world is that their check in baggage is far less likely to go astray. Read More » SITA’s Baggage IT Insights 2025 reports that in 2024 the region achieved the world’s lowest mishandling rate at 3.1 bags per 1,000 passengers, a level the Asia-Pacific has consistently maintained in recent years. The overall global mishandling rate is 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers.
The Asia-Pacific’s steady performance highlights the strength of regional investment in automation, tracking and baggage management, even as system complexity and passenger numbers continue to soar.
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Nevertheless, the global picture also tells a story of progress. Despite an 8.2% increase in worldwide traffic in 2024, the overall mishandling rate declined in 2023 and is 67% lower than in 2007.
Of the 36.2 million mishandled bags, around 61% (22.2 million) were resolved within 48 hours. Specifically, 16% were resolved within 12 hours, 38% within 24 hours and 46% within 48 hours.
The results are a clear improvement, but baggage mishandling still cost the industry an estimated $5 billion in 2024 and passengers want a better performance 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 is not a phase, it is the norm. The industry is constantly evolving, driven by technology, passenger expectations, and global change.” SITA CEO, David Lavorel, said.
“We have seen a radical shift with automation and real-time tracking. Passengers expect their baggage experience to be as easy and transparent as using a ride share or delivery app. It’s no longer just about moving bags. It is about delivering a smooth, connected journey.
“Airlines are ready to tap into technology that improves the passenger experience but keeps costs down and is simple to implement.
“Airports and airlines are 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 they are having an effect. This shows the real impact of investing in smart, data-driven baggage systems.”
In 2024, 42% of passengers had access to real-time baggage updates, up from 38% the year earlier. Nearly half of all travellers say mobile tracking would boost their confidence in checking in a bag and 38% of the survey’s respondents value digital ID tags.
Sixty six per cent of airlines offer automated bag drop with another 16% planning to do so by 2027. Additionally, 65% of airports intend to be operating biometric self-service bag drop in the same year.
Last year, delayed bags remained the most common issue, accounting for 74% of mishandled luggage, down from 80% in the previous year. Eight per cent of bags were lost or stolen and 18% of them were damaged or pilfered, an increase from 15% in 2023.
Transfer mishandling was the biggest contributor at 41%, an improvement from 46% the previous year. Tagging or ticketing errors, security issues and similar factors rose slightly to 17% (up 3%) and loading failures remained steady at 16%. Operational issues such as customs delays, weather or capacity constraints increased to 10%, up from 8%.
“We are making progress, but baggage still causes stress,” SITA director baggage, Nicole Hogg, “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.” “This is not just about reducing errors. It is about creating trust in the journey and the technology is clearly making it possible.”
