What Happens to Your Luggage After Check-In? Emirates Offers a Behind-the-Scenes Look

When you hand off your suitcase at the airport check-in counter, it vanishes from sight—and often, from mind. But behind the scenes, your bag embarks on a journey nearly as complex as your flight. New data released by Emirates Airlines lost and found, reveals just how meticulously managed this process is, especially at the airline’s bustling hub in Dubai.

A Record-Breaking Year for Baggage Handling

Between April 2024 and March 2025, Emirates processed over 2.8 million bags each month—averaging an impressive 100,000 bags per day. That marks a 3.7% increase from the previous year, making it the airline’s busiest period for baggage handling to date.

Despite this surge in volume, Emirates achieved a remarkable 99.9% success rate in getting bags to the correct destination on time. It’s a behind-the-scenes triumph, especially in an era of soaring air travel and persistent complaints about lost or delayed luggage.

An Invisible Dance of Technology and Teamwork

Underneath Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3, a complex symphony of conveyor belts, barcode scanners, software algorithms, and human expertise keeps the baggage system running smoothly. It’s an operation that juggles not only volume but also complexity—most of the luggage handled by Emirates is transfer baggage, often passing through multiple handovers across continents.

Even when bags present challenges—such as the 2,300 untagged ones Emirates encounters each month—the airline manages to reroute 80% of them before the plane takes off. And when bags do go missing, 91% are returned within 72 hours.

Leading the Industry

According to the report, just 1.4 bags per 1,000 are delayed, lost, or misplaced in Dubai—well below the global average. Emirates credits its performance to a mix of proprietary software, real-time tools like Bag Connect, and ongoing investment in automation and staff training.

There’s also a distinctly human element. The airline’s Lost and Found team recovers and returns 94% of valuable items—like phones, wallets, and passports—within just an hour of being reported.

Why It Matters

Despite the high-tech systems in place, the process isn’t immune to hiccups. Bags can fall off belts, tags can be damaged, or delays in other airports can ripple through the network. But Emirates’ contingency systems, developed alongside dnata and Dubai Airports, help reroute bags automatically to reduce disruptions.

While lost-luggage nightmares often make the headlines, Emirates’ latest performance figures paint a different picture: a global airline that’s quietly excelling in one of aviation’s most thankless tasks.

In a year marked by record travel volumes, Emirates isn’t just coping—it’s setting a new standard for what passengers should expect when it comes to their luggage.