Bengaluru: Passengers left behind more than twenty thousand articles at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport during 2017-18.
Airport authorities reported that the articles received from various parts of the airport were either forgotten by the passengers or were prohibited from carrying by the CISF. These articles range from electronics to government documents.
Electronic items accounted for 2,492 units including 594 general items, 485 watches/pens, 367 mobile phones and accessories; 37 laptops, 29 tabs/iPads and seven cameras. Other items include bags, apparel, medical accessories, kitchen appliances, travel accessories, sunglasses, tools and toys.
Of the total items that were received, 5,686 were handed over to the owners, while 7,153 items that are mostly perishable goods were disposed of, said an official statement. Articles that remain unclaimed for a period of 90 days are either given out for charity or auctioned to airport staff.
Articles such as electronic gadgets and government-issued documents are retained for three months (90 days) from the date of receipt. After the retention period, government documents are returned to the respective government departments. Indian passports are shipped to the Regional Passport Office while foreign passports are sent to the respective embassies after a 30 day-retention period. Bank documents such as credit/debit cards, cheque books and pass books are disposed of after 72 hours, while perishables such as food are discarded in 24 hours.
"We never fail to be awestruck with the variety and quantum of articles the L&F Department receives. With passenger movement on an upswing, we have seen a proportionate surge in the lost articles at the Bengaluru airport. To deal with these articles, BIAL has a system in place to ensure that the items are stored safely. This ensures that when the rightful owners reach out to us, we have the articles in good condition,” said Javed Malik, Chief Operating Officer (COO), BIAL, in the statement.
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