Airlines lost more bags in 2022 than any other year in the last decade according to a recent report.

In 2022 alone, 26 million bags were misplaced, according to 2023 Baggage Insights from aviation technology company, SITA.

For every 1000 travellers who flew, 7.6 bags were lost. This is almost double the amount compared to statistics from 2021, which had the rate at 4.35 bags for every 1000 travellers.

The report claimed the increase was due to a sharp rise in demand for air travel combined with staff and resource shortages.

Although the number of people who travelled by air in 2022 was still significantly lower than in pre-pandemic days (3.2 billion versus around 4.5 billion), it was the speed of the return that caused difficulty, the report stated.

“The swift come-back took the industry by surprise resulting in increased disruptions and baggage mountains as airports, airlines, and ground handlers navigate the surge in traffic with reduced staff,” it stated.

SITA’s CEO David Lavorel said the industry needed to “work hard” to restore passenger confidence.

“After a decade where the mishandling rate more than halved between 2007 and 2021, it is disheartening to see this rate climbing again,” he said.

“As an industry, we need to work hard to ensure passengers are once again confident to check in their bags.”

Of the mishandled bags, 80 per cent were delayed but made their way back to their owners and 13 per cent were damaged. Lost or stolen bags made up 7 per cent of mishandling.

Unsurprisingly, bags were eight times more likely to be mishandled on international flights compared to domestic.

Broken down by country, Europe was most likely to mishandle a passenger’s suitcase, with a rate of 15.7 bags per 1000 passengers; triple the rate it was in 2021. While North America’s rate was 6.35, Asia came out on top, mishandling just three bags for every 1000 travellers.

As for solutions, the Baggage IT Insights report recommended digitisation and automation.

“The sharper focus on digitalization and automation is bringing opportunities to improve operational efficiency, leading to better passenger experiences and reduced costs,” it stated.

Investment in self-service initiatives grew in 2022, it added, citing features such as touchless bag tagging options and unassisted bag drops.