'Where Did My Carry-On Go?'...Luggage Loss Surges at Airports Worldwide

Rapid Increase in Baggage Loss Due to Surge in Air Travel Demand
Compounded by Labor Shortages and Strikes Amid COVID-19

As air travel demand surges, cases of lost luggage are rapidly increasing. It is also known that international and connecting flights have about six times higher chances of losing luggage compared to direct flights. Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] As global air travel demand surges, cases of lost luggage are rapidly increasing.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 9th (local time), on the 20th of last month, a malfunction occurred in the conveyor belt transporting luggage at London Heathrow Airport in the UK, leaving thousands of bags stranded at the airport.

On the 2nd, Air France announced that due to a strike by employees at France's Charles de Gaulle Airport, baggage handling was disrupted, causing delays in the arrival of 17,000 pieces of luggage.

Peter Drummond, head of Swiss technology company SITA, which tracks luggage, stated, "Last month, the global lost luggage rate far exceeded the level of 2019, before the spread of COVID-19," adding, "Especially from April to June, the lost luggage rate surged fivefold compared to the same period last year."

He further explained, "International and connecting flights have about six times higher chances of losing luggage than direct flights."

Cases of lost luggage are also continuing in the United States.

Blue Ribbon Bags, a US company that tracks and recovers lost luggage, reported a sharp increase in lost luggage reports over the past two months.

Gabriel Menkin, CEO, said, "Recently, 10 out of every 1,000 pieces of luggage have been reported lost or delayed in arrival," noting that this is double the level of 2019.

The main cause of the increase in lost luggage cases is cited as labor shortages. The airline industry, which had reduced staff due to the impact of COVID-19, is now facing repercussions as travel restrictions are lifted worldwide and air travel demand surges.

Not only have workers who left the industry failed to return to the field, but key personnel at airlines and airports have also gone on strike demanding wage increases reflecting rising living costs.

Earlier, at France's Charles de Gaulle Airport, a strike on the 2nd led to the closure of two out of four runways, resulting in the cancellation of 20% of morning flights. Airport staff, demanding wage increases, went on strike from the 30th to the 3rd and have entered an additional strike from the 8th to the 10th.

European low-cost carrier Ryanair, headquartered in Spain, also decided to carry out a 12-day strike starting earlier this month.

As the peak summer vacation season begins, combined with pent-up travel demand suppressed by COVID-19, the number of travelers has exploded. In particular, in the US, during the Independence Day holiday from the 1st to the 3rd, about 1,400 domestic and international flights were canceled, and approximately 14,000 flights were delayed.

In response to this situation, airports and airlines are continuing efforts to secure manpower. Swissport International, a baggage handling company, has introduced an incentive of $5,000 (about 6.5 million KRW) for new employees at some US airports.

A spokesperson for Swissport International stated, "The number of employees, which reached about 65,000 before COVID-19, decreased to around 45,000 as of December last year."

However, concerns remain that securing manpower will not be easy. Philip Zoynich, CEO of baggage company Menzies Aviation, explained, "It only takes two weeks to hire and train new employees, but the problem is security clearance," adding, "On average, it takes 65 days for employees to receive security clearance to actually work, and it can take up to 90 days."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.