Two out of five fliers in India have been delayed or lost luggage in the last two years, a survey by community social media platform LocalCircles has found.
The percentage of fliers who had an airline damage their bags rose to 50% from 35% in the last 12 months, according to the survey.
In the case of those who have had their luggage damaged 4 or more times, the percentage has gone up to 7% from 5%, while those who have faced this situation at least once have increased to 24% in 2024 from 5% in 2022.
The study received over 41,000 responses from fliers in 303 districts. This included 41% respondents from Tier-1 locations, 30% from Tier-2 locations, and 29% from Tier-3, Tier-4, and rural locations.
The survey though also points to an improved response from airlines to customer complaints. Airline customer service and responsiveness to baggage complaints improved in the last 2 years with only 24% rating it as poor or worse compared to 50% in 2022, as per the survey.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) recently directed all major Indian airlines to increase their manpower to streamline and improve baggage delivery at airports before February 26, or they could face regulatory action.
The move followed several complaints from unhappy passengers on social media and other platforms.
The annual “Baggage IT Insights” report by airport technology company SITA states that globally baggage systems and baggage teams handle more than 4.8 billion bags every year.
In 2022, the global rate for mishandled baggage jumped to 7.6 bags per thousand passengers, up 75% from the much quieter 2021. These numbers are expected to double by 2036, according to the International Air Transport Association.
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