“When something doesn't go as planned at the airport, complaints are made to us,” said the Swiss representative. And we assume all costs: whether for lost luggage, delays or hotel nights.
Ten million francs in compensation
According to Oliver Buchhofer, the airline has paid more than ten million francs for customer compensation in the first nine months of 2024, in addition to hotel and meal costs. And the “trend is on the rise”, according to him.
Zurich Airport is currently upgrading its baggage sorting facility. A major project that spans several years. “We of course understand that,” said Oliver Buchhofer. However, the installation experienced a strike lasting several hours last weekend, “and this is not the first time.”
Oliver Buchhofer asked the airport operators, but also the Skyguide air traffic control, to become more involved. Because performance has also deteriorated with regard to delays: “in 2024, fewer planes land and take off from Zurich than in 2019, but our punctuality is around 10% lower than before the pandemic.”
Ground service: more staff
Depending on the airport, there are several reasons for baggage delays. Among them, tight connection times due to delays, late check-in or disruptions in the baggage system, an airport spokesperson told the Keystone-ATS news agency on Sunday.
On busy days, around 40,000 to 50,000 bags pass through the sorting system. Isolated machine failures are each time resolved under high pressure and as quickly as possible, she said.
In collaboration with Swiss, the performance of baggage handling has been significantly improved in 2024, estimates Swissport, the ground service provider contacted by Keystone-ATS. Additional employees and night shifts have been put in place to remedy delays as quickly as possible.
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