Sita Report: Lost or Damaged Baggage Costs Airlines Billions

Billion-Dollar Costs for the Industry

The balance sheet for the entire industry is also significant according to Sita's figures. "Weltweit schätzt Sita die Kosten für die Airlines pro Jahr auf 6,3 Milliarden Dollar." The year before, however, it was still $7.9 billion. The decline is mainly attributable to better processes and technology, Sita writes.

How baggage problems become a financial burden is also illustrated by looking at the industry's per-passenger margin. "Pro Passagier verdienten Fluggesellschaften nach Abzug aller Kosten nur 8 Dollar." This means a missing suitcase has a disproportionate impact on operating results.

Where Does Baggage Most Often Get Left Behind?

The situation is also serious in terms of absolute case numbers. In 2025, according to Sita, 24 million items of baggage were lost or damaged across just under 5 million passengers. Although this is less than in the pre-pandemic year 2019, when 26 million items of baggage were lost or damaged worldwide across just under 4.5 million boarded passengers – an improvement despite increased passenger numbers.

Despite the slight decline, the volume remains considerable. According to Sita, four percent of recorded baggage problems involve suitcases that disappear never to be seen again (4 percent). The vast majority of cases – more than 75 percent – according to Sita, involve misrouted or late-delivered baggage.

According to Sita, the number of baggage problems has been steadily declining, by 19 percent year-on-year last year. The report's authors attribute this development, among other things, to more consistent tracking and modern IT systems.

Solutions: Data and AI

Sita recommends significantly expanding data networking between airlines, airports and service providers there in the future. "Probleme vorbeugen oder sie schneller lösen könne man durch die bessere Datenvernetzung von Fluggesellschaften, Flughäfen und den dortigen Dienstleistern, um den Standort von jedem Gepäckstück zu jedem Zeitpunkt zu kennen."

When it comes to concrete tools, Sita also points to new technologies. "Dabei könnten auch Programme mit Künstlicher Intelligenz helfen." Such systems are designed to recognize patterns, predict bottlenecks and speed up searches when items of baggage deviate from their intended route.

On balance, the report shows: baggage problems remain a significant cost factor for airlines, even though the industry is making progress. Which measures help – and what passengers themselves can do – is therefore likely to come into sharper focus in the coming years.

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Dabei könnten auch Programme mit Künstlicher Intelligenz helfen.