Luggage disappearances at Budapest Airport investigated

Recent news reported that several tourists arriving at Budapest experienced that their valuables were removed from their luggage. It is not proven yet in which airports these thefts occurred. A bulk of controversial information were revealed concerning these cases. As Turizmus.com reported, the Ministry of National Development (NFM) ordered an exceptional investigation of the ground services of the quite popular Liszt Ferenc International Airport by the authorities. Budapest Airport released detailed information on a social network.

The results are expected to be completed by spring. No matter the outcome, the airline will limit the permissions of organisations which cannot ensure that the luggage of the passengers will be returned untouched and unharmed. According to the statement sent to MTI by the ministry, the checks affect subcontractors and the security measurements carried out when employees enter or leave the airport.

After the publication of the ministry’s statement, Budapest Airport posted the following on Facebook:

“Our Dear Followers!

Budapest Airport takes all the flaws and omissions in services taking place at Liszt Ferenc International Airport very seriously.

We have, of course, heard and read the recent statements about the luggage thefts. Before we reacted to these in details, we warn our passengers that the number of luggage thefts reported to our Company has decreased from 92 to 53 between 2016 and 2017.

In 2017, more than 3 million pieces of luggage were registered in Budapest Airport Ltd.’s system by airlines and their ground service partners, so 0.002 percent of the handled luggage was affected.

Luggage thefts and damages are quite rare, but we are still aware that not even a single case is acceptable in this field. The transportation of passengers and their luggage from our airports to the destinations is the task and responsibility of the airlines, according to the contracts with the passengers.

Check-ins and luggage records are executed by ground service companies under contract with the airlines. Budapest Airport Ltd. only provides infrastructure for these activities — in this case, the luggage carrier system and the software related to it.

Our Company’s employees do not contact the passengers’ luggage directly, except if a security issue arises in relation to a certain piece of luggage; for example, if it contains a forbidden object so it needs to be opened, which can only be executed under the surveillance of the Airport Police, recorded by a closed camera system.

Budapest Airport Ltd., the representatives of the airlines, the ground service organisations and the authorities cooperate and work hard in order to prevent luggage thefts. Several common actions were carried out in the recent years, for example:

• Immediate accusation at the police and the immediate cancellation of the access card of any person found guilty of luggage theft or other criminal acts related to luggage.
• Placing warning signs in spots where the airlines or the contracted ground services are in direct connection with the passengers (like check-in desks and gates), asking the passengers not to bring any valuables in the luggage or hand luggage.
• Introduction of random police checks, searches of the personnel leaving restricted security areas in order to reveal valuables taken from the luggage.
• Limitation of the amount of cash and cigarettes allowed to be taken in or out from the restricted security area. The effective measures listed above are unfortunately not sufficient for preventing all the opportunist people in contact with the luggage to attempt to steal valuables.

Budapest Airport Ltd. advises the following to our passengers:

1. If any problem emerges in connection with luggage, please contact your airline. If anything was stolen from your luggage, please report the case to the Airport Police Management as well and give information about the missing objects, the details of your travel and anything else related to the case.

You can find the availabilities of airlines and ground service partners operating at Liszt Ferenc International Airport here: https://www.bud.hu/…/jarat_es_utazas…/jaratok/legitarsasagok.

If you intend to inform our Company about your complaints, please send a copy of the email to velemeny@bud.hu, but be aware that you are under contract with the airline.

2. Luggage thefts happen quite rarely.

Despite this fact, we advise our passengers not to put any valuables in your luggage or hand luggage. Budapest Airport Ltd. takes every case and response related to the quality of services quite seriously, and we work together with all our partners on providing you with the best travelling experience and the smoothest services.”

Source: Turizmus.com