Passengers flying from GCC airports can soon track their baggage live!

• GCC airport officials said new apps will be introduced in 2019.

If you had a bad experience of baggage being left behind by an airline, then this will not be the case anymore because passengers flying from GCC airports will soon be able to track their baggage live.GCC airport officials said new apps will be introduced in 2019 in collaboration among airports, airlines and ground handlers which will allow passengers to know whether their baggage is on board or left behind at the airport, thus reducing the stress and hassle for the passengers.

"There was a circular from IATA that encouraged airlines and airports to build a system where they can track the baggage. And this system will enable airports and airlines to work hand-in-hand with ground handlers to actually build that application and make it web-based so that passengers can track their bags through the apps," said Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO, Oman Airports, during a panel discussion at the Airports Show, which will run till May 9 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

"We are working on the app and planning to introduce it next year. We are the first one to launch it in the GCC in Q2 or Q3 of 2019. Any passengers flying from Oman airports will be able to track whether his/her baggage is put in the plane's belly or left behind at the airport. Tagged with a barcode, it can be tracked. Those passengers having a network during the flight will be able to track their baggage from the seats of their plane," Al Hosni said.

Mohammed Yousif Al Binfalah, CEO, Bahrain Airport Company, said they are also working on an app which will offer much wider services rather than specific to the baggage.

"Baggage tracking is one of those products in the new app which is at the design stage. We are going live with the new terminal next year in September and we will have the app ready for testing before that," Al Binfalah said.

"Any initiative that brings airlines and airports closer and integrates their operations is in the right direction, whether it is about baggage, passenger experience, retail or car parking. All of these ideas are collaborative in nature and allow passengers to have more pleasant experience," he added.