India: Airlines told to ensure passengers get baggage in less than 30 mins

Major airlines across India have been directed to reduce their baggage delivery time by the The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

On February 16, 2024, BCAS issued letters to seven prominent airlines, namely Air India, IndiGo, Akasa, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India Express Connect and Air India Express, urging them to implement necessary measures to ensure the timely delivery of baggage.

BCAS conducted an extensive survey across the nation's six major airports, scrutinising the operations of seven airlines and analysing over 3,600 flight movements along with their baggage delivery processes. As per regulations, "airlines are required to ensure the delivery of passengers' baggage within a timeframe of 10 to 30 minutes following the aircraft's engine shutdown."

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The directive comes in response to concerns regarding the punctuality of baggage delivery and the receipt of complaints through social media and other windows that passengers are reported to have been victimised by late baggage delivery after landing at the airport, as outlined in the Service Quality Requirements of Operation, Management and Delivery Agreement (OMDA).

The Aviation Ministry, led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, BCAS, initiated a rigorous monitoring exercise in January 2024. This exercise focuses on tracking the time taken for baggage to arrive at designated belts in six major airports across the country.

While there has been a noticeable improvement in performance since the inception of the review, none of the airlines have consistently met the prescribed standards. The OMDA stipulates that the first baggage should reach the conveyor belt within 10 minutes of the engine shutdown, further emphasising the need for prompt handling and delivery.

Currently, the monitoring efforts are concentrated on six major airports. However, BCAS has directed the airlines to extend their compliance measures to all airports within their operational purview. This broader scope aims to ensure uniformity and adherence to mandated service levels across the aviation sector.

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