Swiss International Airlines criticises Zurich airport for baggage delays

According to the airport, there are various reasons for delayed baggage. These include short transfer times due to delays, late check-in or malfunctions at the baggage system. Keystone-SDA / Gaetan Bally

SWISS has criticised Zurich Airport for the high number of delayed baggage items. An above-average amount of baggage is lost there or is delivered too late, SWISS Head of Operations Oliver Buchhofer told the NZZamSonntag newspaper.

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“Across our entire network, the proportion of baggage that did not arrive as planned was 2.3%. In Zurich, the figure is around 4%,” lamented the 47-year-old manager and Airbus pilot. “In Zurich, we are seeing a clear change in the wrong direction.” Around twice as many pieces of baggage that do not arrive as planned are registered there compared to before the pandemic.

“If something doesn’t work as it should at the airport, the complaints are directed at us,” said the SWISS representative. “And we bear all the costs: be it for lost luggage, delays or hotel accommodation.”

Millions in compensation

According to Buchhofer, the airline paid over CHF10 million ($11.2 million) for guest compensation in the first nine months of 2024 in addition to the costs of hotel and food. “And the trend is rising.”

Zurich Airport is currently modernising its baggage sorting system. A major project that will take several years to complete. “Of course we understand that,” said Buchhofer. However, the system had just gone on strike for several hours last weekend, “and not for the first time”.

Buchhofer demanded more commitment from the airport operators, but also from Skyguide air traffic control. After all, performance has also deteriorated in terms of delays. “Fewer aircraft landed and took off in Zurich in 2024 than in 2019, but our punctuality is around 10% lower than before the pandemic.”

Handler deploys more staff

According to the airport, there are various reasons for delayed baggage. These include short transfer times due to delays, late check-in or malfunctions at the baggage system, as an airport spokeswoman told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday.

On busy days, around 40,000 to 50,000 pieces of baggage pass through the baggage sorting system. Individual machine breakdowns are always rectified at full speed and as quickly as possible, it said.

The ground handler Swissport says it is doing everything it can to meet the “highest standards in terms of efficiency and reliability”. In cooperation with SWISS, the performance of baggage handling in 2024 has been greatly improved, Swissport announced on request. Additional employees and night shifts are being deployed to resolve delays as quickly as possible.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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