At the IATA Ground Handling Conference 2026 in Cairo, Ivan Jakovljević, SVP Operations at Ink Innovation, joined IATA's panel on end-to-end baggage connectivity, addressing the standards gaps, data governance challenges, and operational realities that continue to define the industry's progress toward a fully connected baggage chain.
We sat down with him after the session to capture his key takeaways.
What is the one hard truth that still prevents end-to-end baggage visibility?
Technology is here, but standards don't support it. For example, we have the means of taking a picture of a bag at acceptance, but when the baggage loader needs to offload it, the BRS can't consume that data ("big blue bag") from the DCS using current standards. We are lacking the messaging format to support rich data like photos and GPS, which IATA is introducing with BIX. In order to move forward, we need to start implementation and the inevitable iteration and improvement that comes with it instead of discussing the same issues over again. Otherwise we are just doing the paper excercise. The key to success is fast-moving, independent partners that will do this outside the ecosystems usually shared by big providers who use APIs or custom integrations within their suite. Also we need to ensure that the smaller providers and airlines have the equal voice in the working groups - in order for the best solutionsto cross the "finish line". We already have a history of being the worlds first in "Delivery" and we are aware of the challenges that pioneers face - but it keeps moving the industry forward.
Which is the weak link — BRS, BHS, or self-service?
The weakest link in the baggage chain is not a particular system — it is when the communication layer and physical layer don't match. A bag will not be abandoned on the tarmac, but a scan might be missing, a message might not have been parsed, or the systems are simply not able to communicate.
Are we over-engineering instead of simplifying and standardising?
The key to moving forward is being able to look beyond our own streams, like we did through the GAD group connecting baggage and load control, as well as breaking the silos by using new standards and providing feedback to the working groups to improve them. Small providers and airlines need to have the same voice as big providers if we want to adopt best practices and move fast.
Who truly owns baggage data end-to-end? What data are you not willing to share?
What we need is not data sharing, but data governance. There is a reason why data is not readily shared due to SLAs, confidentiality, commercial sensitivity, and performance competitiveness. If IATA is willing to take this on with the Baggage Community System, it will have to address these points. Also from a systems perspective, we don't need all the information at all times. Messaging will never really be free, and the data needs to be lean to be processed at a high rate.
Is automation delivering real value, or just shifting complexity?
Automation and AI are great tools that raise the scale of what we do in a modern way. But we must not forget that we live in a real world where systems fail and we need to deal with the aftermath. We need to design human-machine flows that take into account failures and not just happy flows. This is true in operations and only then are we making systems that are fit for the industry we are in. In regards to AI specifically — it rests on the fact that it needs data and access, which we have already talked about, to maximise its performance. The way I view AI is as a great tool, but a tool nonetheless, and its usefulness is dependent on its application — we need to know what it is good at doing and what it is not.
In 5 years, will we finally have a fully connected baggage chain?
If we don't start acting now, by doing implementations and iterative improvements, we will still be talking about the same issues. However if we do move forward, realistically, we will have pockets of excellence that work great, followed by some that still use paper and that is the reality. In order for standards and technology to be adopted, they need to provide tangible benefits, they need to incentivise the movement by being cheap to implement and introducing savings and performance improvements. No one will move just to show they are doing something, which doesn't benefit them in a harsh industry with low margins and high operating costs like ours.