400 flights delayed at Paris CDG due to unclaimed bags

PARIS: Groupe ADP has launched an awareness campaign on the human and economic costs of unclaimed bags with reports showing that 400 flights were delayed at Paris CDG in the first nine months of 2017 due to unattended bags.

“More than 1,000 operations were carried out in the first nine months of 2017 to deal with unattended luggage at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport,” said Groupe ADP chairman and CEO, Augustin de Romanet.

Groupe ADP, the operator of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, is making the campaign available in French, English and Chinese. The company says the stakes are high for the airlines and public authorities, including airport operators.

“Depending on where the unattended luggage is located, the entire terminal or a part of the terminal may/must be evacuated. Delays can be considerable for some flights. Since the start of the year, around 60% of unattended luggage has been left at ParisCharles de Gaulle Airport, with 40% of these bags left at the Air France-KLM hub. In August 2017 alone, 214 bags were left by their owners, i.e. an increase of approximately 30% compared to August 2016,” Groupe ADP said.

More than 1,000 unattended bags were recorded from January to September this year at Paris-CDG. Group ADP handled via Paris Aéroport more than 97 million passengers & 2.2 million metric tons of freight & mail at Paris-CDG and Orly in 2016 and an additional over 42 million passengers in airports abroad through its subsidiary ADP Int’l. The Group’s revenue stood at €2,947 million and net income at €435 million during the period.