Dhaka: Several leading Indian airlines have been directed by the country’s Civil Aviation Ministry to begin sending out passengers’ bags within 10 minutes of the plane’s engine shutting down. The Ministry ordered the airlines to ensure all luggage delivery completes within 10 to 30 minutes after landing. The airlines have until February 26 to comply with the order, said reports.

Late luggage delivery has been a persistent problem across Indian airports. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security directed seven airlines including big names like Air India, Vistara and IndiGo to take essential initiatives to ensure timely delivery of luggage.

The directive follows the Civil Aviation Ministry’s monitoring of the time it took for luggage to be delivered to passengers at six major airports in India. The operations of seven airlines were scrutinised across 3,600 flights, reports claimed.

Reports cited the Ministry saying that the review exercise began in January 2024 and was still underway, adding, even though airlines’ performances with regards to baggage delivery had improved, however, it was yet to meet the mandated guidelines. It also mentioned, according to the mandate, the first luggage should arrive at the baggage belt "within 10 minutes of shutting off the aircraft engine and the last bag within 30 minutes of the same".

Indian passengers have often addressed their frustration with the luggage delivery process at the country’s airports. Sometimes, luggage has been delayed for nearly an hour, and waiting time gets longer if there are technical issues with the baggage belt.

Over the past few months, the country’s Civil Aviation Ministry has been taking several measures to make air travel more seamless. In early February, the ministry directed authorities of Mumbai International Airport to reduce flight numbers to avoid congestion of air traffic and improve landing time.