Travelers experienced a wait of over two hours at the airport baggage carousel, only to find their bags never materialize.
A Swiss aircraft touched down in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday, devoid of any checked luggage on board.
According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, passengers contend that the pilot issued an apology for the delay but failed to provide an explanation or inform them that their baggage had not made it onto the flight.
Passengers further assert that upon reaching their destination, Swiss Air personnel did not furnish them with information regarding the whereabouts of their belongings. Instead, they had to rely on Spanish airline Iberia’s staff to notify them that the plane had landed without any luggage on board.
Carsten Redlich, one of the passengers, lamented to The Blick that his vacation had been “ruined” due to the mishap, as his suitcases, along with those of a group of paragliding pilots traveling with him, were left behind, leaving them without their essential equipment.
What was the reason for the suitcases not reaching Bilbao?
Swiss Air has verified that the flight originating from Zurich departed without the passengers’ baggage.
Kavin Ampalam, a spokesperson for the airline, informed the French news agency AFP that the issue arose due to a shortage of crew members.
While the passengers endured a wait in Zurich, Ampalam explained, “after one hour and 16 minutes, the situation remained unchanged, and, for operational reasons, we made the decision to proceed to Bilbao without the luggage.”
He emphasized that the flight could not delay any further because it was imperative to collect the passengers in Bilbao in order to return to Zurich before the airport’s closure at 11 p.m.
Although Swiss Air did not confirm whether passengers were informed of the luggage decision, the airline expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to its customers.
“We are currently investigating the situation to ascertain the exact sequence of events,” Ampalam stated, “and we want to assure our customers that such incidents should not occur.”
What is the frequency of luggage loss by airlines?
In the year 2022, the statistics for lost luggage soared to their highest point in a decade, with approximately 26 million suitcases reported missing. This represents nearly double the rate observed in 2021, translating to eight out of every 1,000 suitcases.
A report issued by aviation IT provider SITA attributes this surge in lost luggage to several key factors: a scarcity of skilled personnel, the swift resurgence of international travel following the pandemic, and the congestion at airports.
The report further reveals that Europe stands out as the continent with the highest incidence of lost luggage, particularly affecting the largest airports that handle the greatest number of passengers.
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