Turkish Airlines partners Google to launch ‘Share Item Location’ for faster baggage recovery

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Turkish Airlines has partnered with Google to introduce a new digital solution designed to improve baggage recovery and enhance the travel experience for passengers.

The airline announced in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos that it has become a launch partner for Google’s Google Find Hub “Share Item Location” feature, which enables passengers to share the real-time location of misplaced luggage directly with airline baggage teams.

According to the airline, the integration allows passengers who travel with a Find Hub–compatible tracker or network accessory attached to their luggage to generate a secure location link through the Find Hub app.

The location link can then be shared with a Turkish Airlines baggage representative, providing precise information that helps the airline locate and return delayed or missing baggage more quickly.

“To use the feature, passengers simply open the Find Hub app, select their missing item and tap ‘Share Item Location’ to generate a unique and secure URL,” the airline explained.

“This link can then be provided to a Turkish Airlines representative, who will be able to view the item’s location as it updates.”

The airline emphasised that passengers maintain full control of the process. Sharing can be stopped at any time from within the app, while location links automatically expire after seven days. Sharing is also automatically disabled once the item is detected back with its owner.

“All location data is encrypted, ensuring passenger privacy is protected at every step,” the airline added.

Commenting on the development, Ground Operations Vice President of Turkish Airlines, Mehmet Yıldırım, said the airline continues to invest in data-driven digital solutions aimed at improving passenger experience across its global network.

“We continuously invest in cutting-edge, data-driven digital solutions to enhance an end-to-end travel experience for our guests,” Yıldırım said.

“By integrating innovative technologies such as Google’s Find Hub, we are delighted to be among the first global carriers to offer passengers enhanced baggage tracking and recovery capabilities, delivering a faster, more seamless and more reassuring experience across our network of over 350 destinations worldwide.”

He noted that the collaboration underscores the airline’s passenger-focused strategy and commitment to adopting best-in-class technologies to improve service delivery.

Also speaking on the partnership, Vice President of Engineering at Google, Erik Kay, described Find Hub as a unique solution designed to help Android users locate lost items easily.

“Find Hub is a truly unique experience for Android users,” Kay said.

“Thanks to our open ecosystem that gives people the freedom of choice and a crowdsourced network of over a billion devices to help find lost or misplaced items and devices, no matter where they are.

“We are proud to work with partners to help make finding your belongings simple and seamless on Android.”

The partnership marks another step in the aviation industry’s growing adoption of digital technologies aimed at reducing baggage mishandling and improving passenger confidence during international travel.