Checked in and counted: Emirates reveals its massive daily baggage figures

With global travel at an all-time high, Emirates has confirmed its busiest year yet for baggage handling.

According to a WAM report, between April 2024 and March 2025, Emirates handled more than 2.8 million bags each month — averaging 100,000 per day — across 140 global destinations from its Dubai hub.

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These figures represent a 3.7 per cent increase in total baggage volume compared to the previous year. Despite the complexity of its operations, Emirates has maintained a 99.9 per cent baggage handling success rate.

Emirates’ impressive performance

Emirates’ impressive performance places it among the top-performing airlines worldwide. At its Dubai hub, 99.9 per cent of all bags—whether originating from or transiting through Dubai—reach their destination on time. The airline’s baggage mishandling rate, defined as delayed, lost, or misplaced baggage, is exceptionally low at 1.4 per 1,000, nearly 30 times better than some other carriers.

Globally, when baggage is unavoidably delayed, 91 per cent of Emirates customers are reunited with their belongings within 72 hours. This is particularly notable since Emirates primarily manages international and transfer baggage, which often involves longer, more complex journeys than domestic travel.

Lost and Found operations

Emirates also excels in its Lost and Found operations. At its Dubai hub, 94 percent of valuable items—such as passports, wallets, and phones—are recovered and returned to customers within 60 minutes, thanks to a dedicated team. These items are typically found either on board Emirates aircraft or at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Emirates Bag Connect

In 2024, the airline introduced Emirates Bag Connect, a feature available on the Emirates app and website. This tool offers customers real-time tracking of their baggage journey. An additional feature now allows tracking of mishandled baggage deliveries, available at 80 stations across Emirates’ network.

Dubai hub

At the Dubai hub, from the 2.8 million bags handled monthly, an average of 2,300 are found without baggage tags. Emirates and dnata teams proactively trace ownership, successfully reuniting about 80 percent of these bags with their flights before departure, ensuring minimal disruption to customers.