"Where Did My Carry-On Go?" Baggage Chaos Follows Flight Delays... Worldwide Surge in Lost Luggage Cases

Recently, incidents of lost luggage have been occurring frequently at airports in the United States and Europe. This article content is unrelated to any specific expressions.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, incidents of lost luggage have been occurring frequently at airports in the United States and Europe. This is due to the overlap of a surge in travel demand following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and labor shortages in the aviation industry. As travelers' anxiety grew, Germany's Frankfurt Airport recently sparked controversy by suggesting alternatives such as avoiding the use of black suitcases.

On the 22nd (local time), according to local media including Bild, Frankfurt Airport posted luggage loss-related guidance for airport users. It included advice to use colored suitcases instead of the commonly used black ones and to attach stickers for easy identification.

They also urged travelers to pack using carry-on suitcases instead of checked luggage as luggage may be delayed, and to write their name and address on the suitcase. There was also a recommendation to plan travel schedules considering the possibility of long wait times to retrieve luggage.

This measure was introduced in response to the recent surge in lost luggage cases. With the increase in overseas travelers during the summer vacation season, major European airports are experiencing luggage crises along with flight delays.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on the 2nd, Air France announced that 17,000 pieces of luggage were delayed at France's Charles de Gaulle Airport due to improper luggage management. On the 20th of last month, London's Heathrow Airport experienced a technical failure in the conveyor belt system transporting luggage, causing thousands of travel bags to pile up and be left unattended in one area of the airport.

Peter Drummond, head of Swiss technology company SITA, which tracks luggage, said, "In June, the global luggage loss rate far exceeded the pre-COVID-19 level of 2019," adding, "Especially from April to June, the luggage loss rate increased fivefold compared to the same period last year."

The cause of the luggage crisis is attributed to labor shortages in the aviation industry. Over the past two years, many workers who left airports during the pandemic have not returned, and the sudden surge in air travel demand has caused aftershocks. In particular, since luggage handling largely depends on manual labor, the impact of labor shortages is significant.

Meanwhile, some criticize Frankfurt Airport's alternative as shifting the responsibility for the luggage crisis onto passengers. It is pointed out that instead of preparing countermeasures, the airport made users endure inconvenience. The media also noted that writing names and addresses on luggage could make travelers targets of crime.

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