Heathrow baggage problems
Over the past 18 months Heathrow has been beset with high profile media reports of baggage handling problems. Since early 2006 literally thousands of passengers travelling through the major international airport have complained of experiencing major delays in getting their baggage, baggage sent to the wrong place and even lost baggage.
In July of this year, 108 flights were reportedly cancelled on one day due to baggage management issues. As a result, thousands of passengers were left fuming after missed their flights or suffering from long delays.
While many different air operators working out of Heathrow have been affected by the baggage problems, British Airways flight appear to have been the worst affected, leaving the UK airline in many customers’ bad books.
The seriousness of the issue also goes beyond passenger anger. Reports suggest that the backlog is so bad that ‘luggage mountains’ have built up, creating even greater logistic issues. Some witnesses have also reported random piles of suitcases and travel bags lying in public areas of Heathrow, which raises serious security questions.
In response, officials have pointed to the increased security measures implemented at Heathrow as one causal reason for the baggage problems. Additional demands on staff time have stretched the airport’s capabilities. Backlogs have also been blamed on baggage handling staff shortages, bad weather, high passenger numbers and poor service from courier companies employed to transport bags to their final destinations.
Meanwhile, in response to accusations of bags being left in insecure public places, Heathrow officials have stated that the luggage is being monitored by CCTV systems and security is not an issue.
Fingers have been pointed at Heathrow’s owner and operator, private company BAA. Some might suggest that the company is more interested in profit than service and that poor organisation and baggage handling staff shortages are down to its unwillingness to install the right equipment and employ sufficient staff.
However, a positive solution may be on the horizon. Heathrow’s new state-of-the-art £4 billion Terminal 5 is due to open in March 2008. It will handle 30 million passengers per year, relieving the other four terminals of around 8 million passengers. So hopefully the addition of Terminal 5 will reduce congestion and improve services and maybe the baggage handling problems of the last couple of years will become a thing of the past.