As millions of passengers prepare to travel during the busy holiday season, a year-long collaboration between aviation IT specialist SITA and Apple is delivering measurable improvements in checked baggage tracking and recovery.
By integrating Apple’s Find My technology with SITA’s global baggage management systems, airlines are now able to identify and recover delayed or misplaced luggage more quickly, while passengers gain greater visibility over their bags during peak travel periods.
AirTag integration improves baggage recovery
Passengers using Apple AirTag or other Find My network accessories can securely share their bag’s location with airlines through SITA’s WorldTracer system using the Share Item Location feature. This creates a direct link between Apple’s Find My location data and airline baggage recovery operations.
According to SITA’s analysis, the impact has been significant. While most delayed bags are eventually returned, a small proportion are traditionally classified as “truly lost”. For baggage equipped with an AirTag or Find My accessory, the number of truly lost bags fell by 90% when location sharing was enabled through WorldTracer.
This improvement increases the likelihood that passengers will be reunited with their luggage and helps airlines reduce the cost of baggage write-offs.
Nicole Hogg, Portfolio Director for Baggage at SITA, said the results demonstrate the value of connecting consumer technology with aviation systems.
“When consumer technology and airline infrastructure are aligned effectively, the benefits are clear,” she said. “Passengers gain confidence, airlines can act sooner, and the entire baggage recovery process becomes more predictable.”
Faster returns and growing airline adoption
Airlines using the Apple Find My Share Item Location feature have also recorded a 26% reduction in the time it takes to recover delayed baggage, allowing more bags to be returned to travellers sooner.
Adoption of the technology continues to increase. A total of 29 airlines are now using Apple’s Find My integration within WorldTracer as part of their baggage recovery processes, with further carriers expected to join in the coming months.
Holiday travel pressures highlight value of innovation
The latest SITA Baggage IT Insights report shows global baggage mishandling rates remain relatively low at 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers. Around 66% of mishandled bags are reunited with their owners within 48 hours, supported by improved data sharing and automation.
The Apple and SITA collaboration builds on this progress by adding real-time, passenger-authorised location data to airline workflows. This is particularly valuable during holiday travel peaks, when weather disruption, tight connections and high transfer volumes place additional strain on baggage systems.
By combining passenger-facing tracking technology with airline operational tools, SITA and Apple are creating a more connected and reliable baggage experience at a time when travellers need it most.
Hogg added: “Airlines are under pressure to manage rising passenger volumes without increasing complexity. What we are seeing with Find My Share Item Location is that when passengers choose to share accurate location data, airlines gain clarity that simply didn’t exist before. That is helping reduce lost baggage, speed up recovery and build more resilient operations.”
