Bags worth Rs. 13 cr forgotten at city airport in 3 yrs

Fliers at the Mumbai airport are a forgetful lot. The collective worth of baggage forgotten by passengers at terminals in city in the last three years is more than the cost of a small private jet, which costs between Rs. 4 crore and Rs.6 crore.

Fliers at the Mumbai airport are a forgetful lot. The collective worth of baggage forgotten by passengers at terminals in city in the last three years is more than the cost of a small private jet, which costs between Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 6 crore.

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As per data compiled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which maintains security at the Mumbai airport, the number of forgotten baggage items has witnessed a ten-fold rise between 2006 and 2011. Forgotten baggage includes laptops and mobile phones.

In 2006, 1,190 lost baggage items were found at city airport terminals. The number has gone up to more than 10,000 such items collectively worth Rs. 4.57 crore in 2010. Despite frequent announcements asking passengers to look after their belongings, the forgotten baggage items increased to 12,580 valued at Rs. 6.91 crore in 2011. This year until May, 4,840 pieces of lost baggage worth Rs. 2.26 crore were found.

“Our staff has been asking fliers to write their names, mobile numbers on baggage tags as that makes it easier for us to track the owners,” said Hemendra Singh, spokesperson, CISF.

While clearing security check, passengers now have place laptops in a tray that has a lock and key. “Since the key is quite big, fliers seldom forget their laptops. In case they do, it is easier for us to track them down," said Jitender Singh Negi, director inspector general, CISF, Mumbai.