Thousands of bags everywhere are lost every day in the maze of airports around the world. Morocco and particularly Casablanca-Mohammed V airport, the main and undisputed hub which alone generates 2/3 of the Kingdom’s air traffic, is no exception to this phenomenon.
A phenomenon, which for the travelers who are victims of it, becomes a real ordeal. This state of affairs is disseminated almost daily on social networks. There is not a day when a video is not published showing angry passengers expressing their frustration, whether they are members of the Moroccan community residing abroad or national or foreign tourists. These “dysfunctions“, it is certain, inevitably damage the image of Morocco which wants to be a tourist destination par excellence.
Social media platforms recently went viral with a video clip of a Moroccan, resident in the United States, expressing his anger on the luggage conveyor belt at Mohammed V, in Nouaceur, accusing the national carrier of having lost his suitcase, which contained life-saving medication for his chronic illness.
Lately, the problem even recently came to Parliament through a question from MP Nabil Dakch to the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil. Dakch of the Popular Movement Party and the Haraki Group, questioned the minister on the reasons for the frequent loss and theft of luggage and their containers at Mohammed V International Airport and what were “the measures that his guardianship will take to improve services in this regard”.
This may infuriate the passenger who is the victim, but there are several reasons to explain this. In Europe, for example, nearly 15,000 pieces of luggage get lost every day. You should know that for this fear of all passengers, in 2022, 26 million suitcases worldwide were lost, damaged or delayed following air travel, according to a study by the International Aeronautical Telecommunication Company (SITA).
According The report of Sita, the more the number of passengers increases in an airport, the more there is the risk that the luggage is mishandled. Long-haul and international flights where there is a connection are also more affected, with 8.7 bags per 1,000 passengers, compared to 1.85 for domestic routes.
Similarly, baggage is 4.7 times more likely to experience mishandling on an international route than on a national network. The document indicates that baggage arriving late represents 71% of mishandled baggage in 2021, compared to 6% for lost or stolen baggage. The cause is a downsizing of airlines and airports. In doing so, the aviation industry must do more with less.
It is the fear of all travellers. In 2022, 26 million suitcases worldwide were lost, damaged or delayed following air travel, according to a study by the International Aeronautical Telecommunication Company (SITA), published on Tuesday. A significant jump due to the resumption of air traffic. In the lot of his losses, many French people lost their luggage.
That said, and depending on the countries and airports, other factors come into play which mean that number of lost or misdirected baggage continues to increase with an increase of 24% over the year 2021. This ranges from the simple work stoppage of some airport employees, to the strike, to the technological infrastructure of the airport, the tracking technique used, mobile technologies to reach the hold of the plane, baggage check-in of late baggage, sorting, etc.
It’s hard to believe for those who fly often, but more and more luggage is delivered on time at airports. Those who were delivered late, damaged, lost or stolen, their number has been halved in less than a decade across the planet. Also, it is good to know the procedures to follow to be able to recover it or be compensated when the conveyor belt empties and it has not appeared…
First of all, the airlines are responsible for finding it. It will take go to the counter of the “dispute” service as soon as possible to report the loss and inform the airline about the lost baggage. The latter can provide the passenger with a basic necessities kit or give a credit note to cover expenses due to the absence of the suitcase, but this is not an obligation.
Essential expenses (hygiene products, underwear, etc.) during the stay without luggage, you can request reimbursement from the airline on presentation of the invoices within 21 days. For luggage not found, compensation is granted, but the amount depends on the regional jurisdiction in which you are. Otherwise, for Apple users, bring your luggage with the AirTag to be able to follow it around the world.