Key facts
- Bags with Apple AirTags or Find My network accessories saw a 90% decrease in being permanently lost.
- Airlines using Apple Find My and Share Item Location integration in WorldTracer reported a 26% reduction in delayed bag recovery time.
- Overall mishandling rates and total mishandled bag volumes fell 23% and 19% respectively in 2025.
- Transfer baggage mishandling accounted for 39% of all delayed bag cases.
- In 2025, approximately 24 million bags were mishandled, equating to 4.9 bags per 1,000 passengers.
Apple AirTags and other location tracking devices have proven effective in reducing the number of permanently lost luggage, according to new data. The SITA 2026 Baggage IT Insights report indicates that bags equipped with these devices experienced a 90% decrease in being unrecoverable.
Furthermore, airlines that have integrated Apple's Find My network and Share Item Location features into their baggage tracking systems have observed a 26% reduction in the time it takes to recover delayed bags. These advancements contributed to overall mishandled bag rates and volumes falling to their lowest point in 2025, with the exception of the pandemic period, showing a 23% and 19% decrease respectively.
The primary reason for delayed bags, accounting for 39% of all cases, is transfer baggage mishandling, where luggage fails to make it onto a connecting flight. Other causes include ticketing errors, bag switching, security issues, and loading or tagging errors.
In 2025, a total of approximately 24 million bags were mishandled, which translates to a rate of 4.9 bags per 1,000 passengers.