TBM Staff - Mumbai In a recent development, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued a directive to seven major airlines in India, including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India Express Connect, and Air India Express, urging them to streamline baggage delivery processes at airports.
This directive comes after an extensive monitoring period of baggage arrival times, expressing concerns about exceeding permissible waiting durations.
As per the Operation, Management, and Delivery Agreement (OMDA) standards, the airlines are now mandated to ensure that the last checked-in baggage is delivered within a 30-minute timeframe upon arrival. The BCAS has set a deadline of February 26, giving the airlines a 10-day window to implement and adhere to these measures.
The BCAS initiated a monitoring exercise in January 2024 to closely track the arrival times of baggage at belt areas in six major airports. While acknowledging an improvement in performance, the review indicated that the current standards still fall short of the stipulated requirements in the OMDA. These standards specify that the first bag should reach the belt within 10 minutes of engine shutdown, and the last bag should be delivered within 30 minutes.
While the monitoring efforts are currently concentrated at six major airports, the BCAS has underscored the need for airlines to ensure compliance with these standards across all the airports they operate in. This move emphasizes the significance of timely baggage delivery, not only for passenger satisfaction but also to meet industry benchmarks and standards.
