Over the recent weekend, more than 90 pieces of luggage were not loaded onto Turkish Airlines flights departing from Istanbul and Antalya for Vnukovo Airport. While the bags were eventually transported on separate flights, many passengers, both in Moscow and other cities, had to wait over a week to receive their belongings. The question arises: is there a solution to this recurring problem?
Yana Sergeeva, a resident of the Moscow region, received her luggage only on the 11th day after her trip to Turkey. She flew with Turkish Airlines from Antalya to Moscow on July 23rd. Passengers were not informed that their bags had not been loaded onto the flight. Upon arrival, they waited fruitlessly at the baggage carousels for about 50 minutes.
Finding no luggage, Yana proceeded to the baggage tracing service, where she encountered a crowd of bewildered people filing lost baggage reports. When Yana requested her suitcase be delivered to her home in the Moscow region, she was informed that the wait would be at least two weeks. The following two days were spent in futile attempts to reach Vnukovo Airport and Turkish Airlines, Yana recounts:
— After two days, I received a call informing me: «Yana, your luggage has arrived in Moscow from Istanbul.» At least I found out where my suitcase had traveled. I was told: «Please wait. You will be contacted within three to five days, and it will be delivered.» Naturally, no one contacted me within that timeframe. It was brought to me on Sunday, August 3rd. So, on the eleventh day.
— Did you notice any signs of tampering?
— I had doubts about the combination lock. I usually shift one digit. I noticed that several digits were out of place. However, I cannot definitively say that someone tried to open it. I think if they truly wanted to, they would have.
Passengers now describe flying with Turkish Airlines as a lottery. Over the weekend, Vnukovo Airport began informing passengers about baggage delays via its official channels even during the flight. In Kazan airport, according to «Business-online» publication, hundreds of unclaimed suitcases are stored in several terminal rooms, with passengers having to search for their belongings themselves using identification tags.
These issues are not new. The carrier explained them by the necessity to refuel with more fuel so that, if a «Carpet» plan (airspace closure) were introduced, the aircraft could return to Turkey. To achieve this, the aircraft`s weight is reduced by offloading baggage, which is then delivered separately. However, this approach seems illogical: many other carriers, without publicizing it, simply reduce the number of seats on a flight by 10-20 to make room for additional fuel, notes Artur Muradyan, Vice President of ATOR for International Tourism:
Artur Muradyan, CEO of Space Travel tour operator, Vice President of ATOR for International Tourism:
“Standard practice is to reduce the number of seats, considering that an adult typically weighs as much as three to four suitcases. So, even four 20-kilogram suitcases would only amount to one missed passenger. Yet here, we sometimes observe a completely chaotic situation where luggage from Antalya is transported to Istanbul on domestic flights, and then from Istanbul to Russia.”
Rosaviatsiya has threatened Turkish Airlines with a reduction in its flight quotas to Russia, a measure that Alexander Lanetsky, CEO of Friendly Avia Support consulting company, believes is theoretically possible:
Alexander Lanetsky, CEO of Friendly Avia Support consulting company:
“Three to four years ago, Turkish Airlines did not fly the Antalya — Moscow route. If they did, it was only as regular daily flights. Where did so many flights to Moscow come from? They appeared after Russian airlines faced problems with international flights due to conflicts with leasing companies, leading to dual registration. Aircraft with dual registration could not fly outside Russia, otherwise they would be immediately impounded and confiscated. This created a shortage of aircraft for Russian airlines, and to somehow resolve this, a political decision was made to allow Turkish Airlines to operate charter flights. Especially since the Turks have many good aircraft. The Turks filled a niche they were previously simply not allowed into. Now, for the most part, Aeroflot has resolved its dual registration issue, and these aircraft can now be deployed to Turkey.”
Experts are also considering reducing the baggage allowance so that passengers carry less than 23 kilograms, ensuring that their suitcase arrives with them. However, Turkish Airlines, as an international carrier, cannot unilaterally change rules for just one country. The Russian Ministry of Transport has stated that Turkish aviation authorities have promised to resolve the issue.
