Ensure timely arrival of baggage at airports after aircraft landing: BCAS

Regulator BCAS has directed airlines to ensure that all baggage of passengers are delivered within 30 minutes of landing of a flight at an airport.

The directive from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to seven scheduled airlines also comes against the backdrop of delays in passengers getting their baggage after landing of a flight.

An official statement on Sunday said that BCAS has asked the airlines to implement the required measures to ensure timely delivery of baggage by February 26.

The directive was issued on February 16 to seven airlines -- Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Vistara, AIX Connect and Air India Express.

Airlines have to ensure that delivery of the last baggage is made within 30 minutes as per the Service Quality Requirements of Operation, Management and Delivery Agreement (OMDA).

BCAS has been monitoring the arrival of baggage at belts of six major airports in January 2024 under the instructions of Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"Since the beginning of the review exercise, performance of all airlines are being monitored on a weekly basis and have improved but are not as per the mandates.

"The mandates require the first baggage to arrive at the baggage belt within 10 minutes of shutting off the aircraft engine and the last bag within 30 minutes of the same," the statement said.