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Luggage tracker has reunited 200 million people with their bags
November 25th 2021
Anyone whose luggage has headed off to destinations unknown can probably thank a tool that this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Read More » Aviation technology specialist, SITA, estimates the WorldTracer has helped 200 million passengers trace their mishandled bags over three decades. Today, the system serves more than 500 customers in 2800 locations, SITA said. A process that used to take weeks now averages 1.6 days. New applications include WorldTracer Lost and Found Property, launched this year to enable airlines to quickly reunite passengers with their lost property at 90% less cost. A self-service version now allows passengers to report missing baggage from their mobile devices while saving airlines on average US$10 for each mishandled bag. Development of the system began in 1989 in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association. It went online in December 1991 with 11 airline customers. In 2007, when the system migrated from mainframe to open system technology, airlines were losing 19 bags per 1,000 passengers compared with 3.5 bags per 1,000 today. “It’s amazing to see how far we have come since SITA established the product,’’ said SITA’s director of baggage, Peter Drummond. “We have constantly improved and innovated, such as meeting new health requirements for the post-COVID era and making processes in the airport more cost-effective, which is one of the reasons we have been such an industry staple for three decades.”
