Focused on IATA Resolution 753, which requires baggage tracking during acceptance, loading, transfer and arrival, the survey of 155 airlines and 94 airports reveals that:
44% of airlines have fully implemented Resolution 753 and another 41% are in progress.
Regional variation in airlines' full adoption rates ranges from 88% in China and North Asia to 60% in the Americas, 40% in Europe and Asia-Pacific, and 27% in Africa.
75% of the airports surveyed have capacity for baggage tracking according to Resolution 753.
Airport readiness for Resolution 753 varies by size*: 75% of mega airports are capable, 85% of major airports, 82% of large airports, and 61% of midsize airports.
Optical barcode scanning is the dominant tracking technology implemented by the majority of airports (73%) surveyed. RFID tracking, which is more efficient, is implemented in 27% of the airports surveyed. In particular, RFID technology has seen higher adoption rates at mega airports, with 54% already implementing this advanced tracking system.
"Between 2007 and 2022, baggage mishandling dropped by almost 60%. That's good news. But travelers expect better, and the industry is determined to make more improvements. Tracking bags at acceptance, loading , transfer and delivery will give the industry the data it needs. Tracking needs to improve, reduces overall mishandling and helps airlines reunite mishandled bags with their owners even faster. By fully implementing Resolution 753 tracking and another 41% in progress, travelers can have even more confidence that their bags will be available on the carousel upon arrival,” said Monika Mejstrikova, IATA Director of Ground Operations.
In 2022, the global rate of mishandled bags was 7.6 per 1,000 passengers, according to SITA. Most of them were returned within 48 hours.
Accelerating modern baggage messaging
Resolution 753 requires airlines to exchange baggage tracking messages with interline partners and their agents. The current baggage messaging infrastructure relies on legacy technologies that use expensive Type B messaging. This high cost negatively impacts the implementation of Resolution 753 and contributes to issues with message quality, leading to an increase in mishandling. of the luggage.
IATA is leading the industry's transition from Type B to modern baggage messaging based on XML standards. The first pilot to test modern baggage courier between the airport and airlines is scheduled to launch in 2024.
“Adopting modern messaging amounts to implementing a new standard, intelligible language for airlines, airports and ground handling staff to use so they can communicate effectively about passenger luggage. In addition to helping to reduce the number of mishandled bags, the implementation also lays the foundation for continued innovations in baggage management systems,” Mejstrikova said.
IATA Resolution 753 was adopted in June 2018. In 2024, IATA launched a campaign to assist airlines with its implementation. The campaign focuses on collecting data on airlines' implementation status and providing support to member airlines to develop and execute their implementation plans. This initiative underlines IATA's commitment to improving operational efficiency and standards across the industry.
Source: IATA.