Yesterday, SITA released its 2025 Baggage IT Insights report. The overarching message is: “handling more, mishandling less.” In figures this means that although global air traffic was up 8.2 per cent, the mishandling rate fell from 6.9 per 1,000 passengers to 6.3.

However, with mishandled baggage still costing airlines an average of $5 billion every year, it is imperative the industry brings this number down further still.

Here is an overview of the report:

 

An overview of disruption – Disruption breaks down into: delayed bags (74 per cent), lost or stolen bags (8 per cent), damaged or pilfered bags (18 per cent).

Causes of delays – Transfer mishandling (41 per cent), failure to load bags (17 per cent), e ticketing errors, bag switches, and security issues combined (16 per cent), operational factors including airport processes, weather, and space or weight constraints (10 per cent), loading errors (8 per cent), arrival mishandling (4 per cent), and tagging errors (4 per cent).

International vs domestic travel – International flights experiences nearly six times higher mishandling rates than domestic flights.

What is driving this improvement? – Operational transformation. Automation, predictive recovery, and connected baggage management reducing mishandling rates across the board.

Changing expectations – Travellers are demanding transparency and expect similar levels of precision that they get with an online delivery. SITA anticipates real-time baggage visibility as the norm by 2027.

What do passengers want? – 47 per cent of travellers think mobile tracking would make them more confident checking in a bag and 38 per cent say a digital ID tag would boost trust.

Regional breakdown – APAC continues to lead with 3.1 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers. This is followed by North America at 5.5 and Europe at 12.3.

 

While the decline in mishandling rates is a positive sign, the financial and reputational cost of disruption to airlines remains significant. With continued investment in data-driven systems and passenger-focused solutions, the outlook is optimistic. The further challenge will then be in meeting customers evolving expectations.

 

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