Airlines To Ensure Timely Baggage Arrival At Airports: Bureau Of Civil Aviation Security Directs After Review Exercise

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has directed initiatives to streamline baggage-handling procedures across major airlines operating in the country.

In a letter issued to seven prominent airlines — Air India, IndiGo, Akasa, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India Express Connect, and Air India Express — BCAS has urged them to implement necessary measures to ensure the timely delivery of customer baggage.

On 16 February 2024, BCAS wrote to ensure that delivery of the last baggage is made within 30 minutes, as per the service quality requirements of Operation, Management and Delivery Agreement.

BCAS has asked airlines to implement all measures within 10 days which is by 26 February 2024.

BCAS started the continuous exercise of monitoring the time of arrival of baggage at belts of six major airports in January 2024.

Since the beginning of the review exercise, performances of all airlines are being monitored on a weekly basis and have improved, but are not as per the mandates.

The mandates require the first baggage to arrive at the baggage belt within 10 minutes of shutting off the aircraft engine, and the last bag within 30 minutes of the same.

The above monitoring is currently being done at six major airports, However, BCAS has directed the airlines to ensure that the mandated levels are achieved in all airports where they fly.