A new report by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has revealed that 47,923 pieces of baggage belonging to air passengers were either missing or delayed in 2024 across domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria.
Among domestic airlines, Ibom Air recorded the highest number of delayed or missing baggage, with 130 cases, followed by United Nigeria Airlines with 86. Air Peace had 74 cases, Aero Contractors recorded 47, Green Africa had one, Max Air had five, while NG Eagle and Rano Air each reported one case. Some airlines, including Azman Air, Dana Air, Overland Airways, Value Jet, and XEJet, recorded zero cases of missing or delayed baggage in the year under review.
On the international scene, Air France topped the list with 5,097 missing or delayed baggage cases, followed by KLM with 4,696 and Egypt Air with 4,462. Other airlines with significant numbers of missing or delayed baggage included Royal Air Maroc with 3,999, British Airways with 3,737, Kenya Airways with 3,122, Virgin Atlantic with 2,942, Delta Airlines with 2,321, Air Côte d’Ivoire with 1,723, Ethiopian Airlines with 1,197, and ASKY Airlines with 1,239. African World Airlines (AWA) recorded 670 cases, while Air Peace, which operates international routes, reported 309 cases. Emirates Airlines had 79 cases, Qatar Airways recorded 2,090, RwandAir had 943, Saudi Air recorded 13, South African Airways had 259, TAAG Angola recorded 1,349, Turkish Airlines had 2,835, Uganda Airlines had 487, and United Airlines from the United States recorded 1,130 cases.
Despite the widespread issues of baggage mishandling, some airlines performed better in handling luggage. Cronos Airlines, Overland Airways, Ibom Air, and Value Jet reported zero missing or delayed baggage in their international and regional operations. Overland, Ibom Air, and Value Jet are Nigerian airlines operating regional services.
The report indicated that international airlines accounted for a higher number of baggage-related incidents than domestic carriers. Of the 47,923 missing or delayed baggage cases recorded in 2024, 47,493 were attributed to international airlines, while 430 cases came from domestic carriers. A total of 43,569 of these bags were eventually recovered, with international carriers finding 43,140 pieces, while domestic airlines recovered 429. However, 4,354 pieces of luggage remained unaccounted for.
The aviation sector’s baggage mishandling statistics highlight ongoing challenges in airline operations, particularly on international routes where the bulk of missing and delayed baggage cases were reported. While some airlines maintained high standards in baggage handling, others continued to struggle, leaving thousands of passengers frustrated. The need for improved baggage handling systems and better customer service remains a priority for airlines operating in and out of Nigeria.
