The number of mishandled bags rose by three quarters from 2021 to 2022 to 7.6 bags per 1,000 passengers amid recovering passenger numbers after the pandemic.
A shortage of skilled staff, resumption of international travel and congestion at airports led to the “exponential” surge in baggage mishandling rates to a ten-year high of 26 million.
The rise came despite a fall of more than one billion passengers to 3.42 billion last year compared to 2019 pre-Covid levels, according to aviation IT provider Sita.
The 2022 mishandling rate was a 75% increase over the previous year due to the pressure of staff shortages and on post-Covid operations.
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The proportion of bags delayed at transfer rose to 42%, attributed to the resurgence of international and long-haul travel, leading to loading errors and greater mishandling rates.
A failure to load bags accounted for 18% of all mishandled luggage in 2022.
Passengers flying in Europe were more prone to having bags lost compared to other parts of the world. A total of 15.7 bags were lost per 1,000 passengers in Europe against 6.35 in North America and 3.04 in Asia.
Loading errors more than doubled compared to the previous year, accounting for 9% of all delayed bags in 2022, stemming from operational strains on baggage systems.
Delayed bags accounted for 80% of all of those mishandled, lost and stolen bags increased to 7%, while those damaged and pilfered dropped to 13%, Sita research found.
The likelihood of mishandling a bag on international routes was about eight times higher than on domestic services.
The increase was attributed to the rise in long-haul flights plus other factors such as airport congestion, customs procedures, staff shortages, and language barriers.
Chief executive David Lavorel said: “After a decade where the mishandling rate more than halved between 2007 and 2021, it is disheartening to see this rate climbing again.
“As an industry, we need to work hard to ensure passengers are once again confident to check in their bags.
“We are working directly with airlines and airports to help solve key pain points in the baggage journey through smart automation, tracking, and digital platforms.
“Clearly, as the industry grappled with the return of passenger traffic in 2022, baggage mishandling rates took a hit. But despite this, the sharper focus on digitalisation and automation is bringing opportunities to improve operational efficiency, leading to better passenger experiences and reduced costs.”
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