The global aviation industry’s specialist IT and communications group, SITA, has reported that Africa is still the region with the highest rate of mishandling airline luggage. Its 'Baggage IT Insights Report 2026' showed that Africa experienced 12.1 mishandled bags per 1 000 passengers last year. This compared with rates of 10.5 for Europe, 5.6 for all the Americas, 5.0 for the Middle East, and 3.41 for the Asia-Pacific, and the global rate of 4.9. Globally, the mishandled baggage rate fell by 23%, year-on-year, last year. In terms of the actual number of mishandled bags, that also fell year-on-year in 2025, by 19% (from 30-million bags in 2024 to 24-million in 2025).

As the baggage handling landscape undergoes transformation, travellers and industry professionals alike must grapple with the realities of mishandling rates, particularly in…

The global aviation industry’s specialist IT and communications group, SITA, has reported that Africa is still the region with the highest rate of mishandling airline luggage. Its…

Baggage mishandling rates fell by 23% in 2025, says SITA report