Istanbul's new €10.2 billion airport will boast an innovative baggage tracking solution supplied by SITA.

İGA, contractor and designated operator of Istanbul New Airport, claims that the decision to appoint SITA will allow airlines to meet IATA Resolution 753’s baggage tracking requirements from day one.

The airport, due to open in 2018, will have capacity to accommodate 90 million passengers a year.

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Upon completion of all four phases, the passenger capacity will reach over 200 million passengers annually and will be required to track more than 75,000 bags an hour.

According to SITA, the potential for bags to be mishandled in such a busy environment will be significantly reduced with its baggage solution as it provides information on where every single bag is on its route through the airport.

Yusuf Ak�ayoğlu, CEO of İGA Airports Construction says: “We fully understand that having the right technology will be essential to the successful operation of the new airport and future-proofing it for decades to come.

"It is also critical to ensuring our passengers fully benefit from our new, world-class facilities by providing innovative systems that make the journey through the airport enjoyable and effortless.

"We are confident that we will conclude this cooperation successfully.”

SITA's vice president of airports for Middle East, India and Africa,Jihad Bouer,notes: “Baggage is one key area where technology is improving the passenger experience.

"Increasingly, airlines and airports are helping to relieve the anxiety of waiting for bags to arrive by providing real-time information on the status of their bags to passengers.

"At the same time, by understanding where a bag is at any point in its journey, airlines will be able to act proactively to ensure that a bag is correctly allocated to a flight, ensuring it arrives with the passenger at their destination.”

SITA’s Baggage Report 2017showed that baggage management by airlines globally improved again in 2016 as the industry focuses on technology investments.

According to the report, the rate of mishandled bags was 5.73 bags per thousand passengers in 2016, down 12.25% from the previous year and the lowest ever recorded.