Europe rate moderately good

Airlines have improved when it comes to suitcase chaos

According to an analysis, 36.1 million pieces of luggage did not arrive safely or at least not together with their owners at their destination in 2023. Calculated per 1,000 passengers, there were problems with 6.9 pieces of baggage, a good nine percent fewer than in the previous year. 

77 percent of the affected pieces of luggage arrived late, 18 percent were damaged or broken into and five percent were stolen or lost forever. According to the report, most problems occur when passengers have to change planes on the journey to their destination.

5.9 bags and suitcases affected per 1000 passengers
After the chaos with suitcases in the initial period after the coronavirus crisis, when airports were struggling to find staff and countless suitcases were stranded at airports, the situation has improved. But there are still more problems with luggage than before the coronavirus crisis: in 2019, an average of 5.9 bags and suitcases per 1,000 passengers were affected worldwide, compared to 6.9 in 2023. Europe is worse off than North America and Asia with a rate of 10.6 in 2023.

Situation improving
However, the global trend is clear: the situation is improving. While passenger numbers have more than doubled since 2007, the baggage problem rate per 1,000 passengers has fallen by 63 percent. The airline service provider SITA expects even better results if baggage transportation is further automated and airlines and airports work even more closely together.