Airline baggage delivery delays decline as govt cracks the whip

 Baggage delivery delays at six major airports have reduced marginally in the past fortnight with ground handling companies deploying extra resources for the job.

This follows Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’s February 16 instructions to domestic airlines on delivery of all check-in bags within thirty minutes of a flight arrival. Airlines were given ten days to implement measures to cut delivery delays.

A civil aviation ministry official said there is an improvement in baggage delivery, but it is still not at the desired level. “It’s a work in progress,” he said.

Operational constraint at airports is main grouse cited by airlines for delays. IndiGo is facing difficulty in delivering bags in thirty minutes due to non availability of enough staff and equipment.

“At IndiGo, we constantly evaluate and evolve our processes and personnel to ensure efficiency and enhance the customers’ overall journey. We are committed to providing a hassle-free experience for our passengers,” the airline said in a statement.

Improving situation

The airline didn’t comment on the issue but sources said the situation is improving now.

On their part, airlines and ground handling companies are stepping up their efforts following BCAS intervention.

AISATS which provides ground handling services to Tata group owned airlines has added more electric tugs at Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for quicker bag delivery. Staff strength too has been enhanced for offloading of bags.

“We delivered 99 per cent of all bags in thirty minutes at Delhi airport last month,” said AISATS CEO Sanjay Gupta. 

AIASL which provides handling services at Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata has reallocated available resources to efficiently handle peak hour arrivals, said CEO Rambabu Ch.

“We provide all the necessary resources required to ensure timely baggage delivery as per standards agreed with the airport and airlne,” Celebi India CEO Murali Ramachandran.

For instance, airport service quality requirements at Delhi and Mumbai stipulate that first bag will be delivered in ten minutes and last bag in 30 minutes after arrival in case of domestic flights. In case of international it is 15 and 40 minutes respectively. The ground handlers in turn have their own service level agreements with airlines and airports. 

30-minute norm

Airline executives say implementation of 30-minute norm isn’t easy given the operational issues. Factors like assigned parking bay and type of aircraft play a part. For instance, transporting bags from a remote bay takes longer than ones situated close to terminal. “The baggage trolleys have to cross active taxiways and wait each time aircraft is passing. There are speed restrictions on ground vehicles too. That slows down the process,” an executive. 

Congestion at airports is also an issue with aircraft missing their scheduled time of arrivals. This results in changes in bay allocation impacting ground handling efficiency. “All these factors are known. When airlines and airports have signed up to maintain certain service standards they should work towards it,” said an industry expert.

Construction work at airport is another factor influencing on time performance. A taxiway at Chennai airport is being strengthened at present and that has resulted in closure of seven bays near terminal 1. This has impacted on time delivery of bags as some aircraft are now assigned remote bays. “ The situation will improve next month after completion of construction,” an official said.