Icelandic golfers still wait for more than 40 delayed bags

More than 40 bags belonging to Icelandic golfers were left behind in Turkey on October 29, and some have yet to reach Iceland 11 days later, mbl.is reports. Icelandair expects about half to arrive on Tuesday and the rest in the coming days.

The bags were left behind on a charter flight from Antalya because there was not enough room in the aircraft’s hold, Icelandair spokesperson Guðni Sigurðsson told mbl.is. The golfers were returning from a trip organised by VITA.

Icelandair had planned for the group to travel with golf equipment, sold 10 fewer seats than it otherwise would have and asked passengers to limit their luggage. Those measures were not enough to fit all the bags.

About 30 bags had also been left behind in Iceland on the outbound journey. Sigurðsson said the delay in bringing the luggage back was partly because Icelandair does not operate scheduled flights to Antalya and has had to rely on other airlines.

Which bags were left behind was determined at random, he said. Icelandair will review how similar trips are organised, including whether different aircraft would be better suited to charter flights carrying passengers with large amounts of equipment.

Sigurðsson said he did not have figures on how often Icelandair luggage is delayed, but described such delays as very rare across the airline’s network.