SITA integrates Google’s Find Hub into WorldTracer for baggage

10 airlines already on board

SITA is integrating Google’s Find Hub item-location sharing with WorldTracer, its global system for tracing and returning delayed or mishandled baggage.

Location information that travellers share from their personal devices can now be viewed directly by airline teams inside WorldTracer.

The aim is to prioritise cases more effectively when bags fail to arrive as expected, shortening resolution times and reducing permanent loss.

The process relies on information provided voluntarily by the passenger. In the event of a delay, the traveller generates a secure link via a Find Hub–compatible tag and shares it with the airline. 

Teams then access, within WorldTracer, an additional source of location data to complement airport scans and interline exchanges. 

SITA says the data is encrypted, sharing can be stopped at any time and links expire automatically. Control over access and duration remains with the traveller, addressing transparency and data‑protection requirements.

The initiative reflects a wider industry shift toward more open and secure data sharing between airports, airlines and technology providers. By aggregating consumer mobile signals into operational tools such as WorldTracer, baggage teams can narrow search areas, triage cases more precisely and improve performance. The model, based on voluntary sharing and time‑limited links, seeks to balance efficiency with privacy.

In a blog post, Google said around ten major carriers (Ajet, Air India, China Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Saudia Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines) already accept Find Hub, with others such as Qantas potentially following. 

More than 500 airlines use WorldTracer across roughly 2,800 airports. 

Adding passenger‑authorised location sharing further extends its capabilities and gives Android users similar options to Apple’s AirTags, already integrated by several airlines. 

The impact will depend on how quickly carriers adopt the feature and whether travellers choose to share their bag’s location during recovery.

“Airlines are operating in an environment where passengers expect visibility of their baggage at every step of the journey,” said Nicole Hogg, portfolio director, baggage at SITA. 

“When a bag is delayed, uncertainty increases compensation costs, customer service pressure, and reputational risk. 

"What we are seeing is a move from manual tracing to clearer, data-supported recovery. 

"When passengers choose to share their bag’s location, airlines gain insight at the moment it matters most. This reflects how baggage recovery is becoming more transparent, more collaborative, and more precise.”