SITA and baggage tech company Airportr sign five-year deal

Partnership will reduce stress and check-in congestion

Air transport IT solutions company, SITA has agreed to terms with European baggage tech and delivery service, Airportr.

The five-year agreement is expected to revolutionise the airport experience for those who travel with checked in baggage.

According to the SITA 2024 Passenger IT Insights report, nearly one-third of travellers globally prefer to check in their baggage at the outset of their journey and have it delivered directly to their destination, with significant interest in having their baggage picked up from their home or hotel.

This collaboration between SITA and Airportr, which already partners with major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, KLM, Edelweiss, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and American Airlines, directly addresses these preferences, offering travellers a seamless, stress-free baggage handling experience.

Airportr's baggage delivery services allow passengers to check in their bags from homes, hotels, or mobility hubs and have them securely transported to their departure airport to be loaded onto flights to their final destinations.

By reducing reliance on traditional airport infrastructure for bag tagging and processing, it will also help reduce queues and wait times at airport check-in desks, allowing passengers to move freely without the burden of carrying luggage, while alleviating anxieties surrounding mishandled baggage.   

"Passengers have spoken: they want to take the hassle out of baggage handling,” Sergio Colella, SITA European President said. 

“More convenience, less queuing at check-in desks, more peace of mind as their baggage gets from point A to point B. And we’re listening. 

“This partnership with Airportr shows our commitment to reimagining the passenger experience thanks to innovative tech, while helping airports and airlines streamline their operations. Together, we will lead the market in baggage delivery services and set new standards for the travel industry."

SITA will support Airportr operations with its cloud-based Flex platform and Bag Journey service, key technologies driving digital transformation in travel.