Edinburgh Airport: How to avoid being caught up in a threatened third summer of baggage disruption – Alastair Dalton

Scotland’s busiest terminal hopes passengers will be reunited with mislaid luggage faster

I was astounded to hear Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar telling the hub’s advisory group he had “very low confidence levels” the baggage problems which have plagued the airport over the past two summers would be fixed this year.

While I learned plenty about the airport and its future plans at the consultative committee meeting, the last thing I was expecting was such a gloomy assessment of what’s become a notorious problem that’s associated with the airport, albeit not of its own making.

I found it particularly surprising because Mr Dewar had said in August last year the past disruption, which led to mislaid luggage piling up in terminal corridors, “should have been avoidable" – meaning there should not have been a repeat of the 2022 trouble, which was part of widespread post-Covid staff shortages across the aviation industry.

Edinburgh Airport staff are to deliver mislaid bags themselves in an attempt to get them to passengers quicker. (Photo by Lisa Ferguson/The Scotsman)

However, since the airport had expressed confidence a year ago it would not happen again, it was perhaps wise not to again raise expectations that everything would be fine, especially with record passenger numbers predicted this summer.

Edinburgh Airport is in a difficult position. Its reputation has been tarnished by the baggage problems even though it is not directly responsible.

Its officials dispute descriptions such as “chaos” and “fiasco”, but the thousands of unfortunate passengers can judge.

Major changes to Scottish air routes to be unveiled by Edinburgh and Glasgow airports

The airport said the problems were the fault of the airlines and their baggage handling agents, both at Edinburgh and elsewhere.

Mr Dewar said they were caused by delays in baggage getting through hub airports such as Heathrow and Amsterdam onto connecting flights to Edinburgh.

The airport has weighed in to limit the anguish to arriving passengers – a dedicated team reunites them with late bags and bills the airlines.

But what can passengers do to avoid being caught up in the nightmare, perhaps for a third summer?

The best bet would appear to be to fly direct into Edinburgh and avoid risking your luggage being caught up between connecting flights elsewhere.

There’s also the option of switching to another airport, but that might involve longer onward travel by road or rail.

The least that affected passengers can hope for is Edinburgh’s new strategy works and they are speedily reunited with their bags – and there is no repeat of those luggage trollies lining the terminal.