Piles of unclaimed or lost suitcases at the Otopeni Airport

Dozens of baggage are piled up in an area of ​​the arrivals terminal of Otopeni/Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest. The images resemble those of other airports around the world.

Since the start of the summer season, more and more people have complained that their luggage has either been lost or has arrived days later, as more and more airports struggle with staffing crunches.

Airlines and airports around the world are struggling to manage the growing number of passengers and baggage. Some call this period “the summer of lost luggage”, with daily reports on suitcases left in airplanes, at airports or permanently lost.

The rate of baggage mishandling worldwide is also on the rise: it rose by 24% last year, with 8.7 suitcases per 1,000 international passengers not arriving on time. There are airports that register a tenfold increase in the amount of baggage that arrives at the wrong destination.