#1 What falls within the responsibilities of the Lost & Found office?

For more than 20 years, Swissport’s Lost & Found office at Flughafen Zürich has been receiving lost property, registering each item and working to reunite it with its owner. The office handles items found anywhere at Zurich Airport or on board aircraft. It does not matter whether you misplaced your headphones before or after the security check. 

And if you do lose something, you are not alone: up to 90,000 items are handed in to the Lost & Found office at Zurich Airport every year.

 

#2 What happens to items that are handed in?

When a lost item is handed in at the airport, it is immediately registered in the system together with clearly identifiable features. This allows people searching for their belongings to check online shortly afterwards whether their item has been found. 

Anyone who only realises at home that something was left behind at Zurich Airport can submit a search request online. If a match is identified, the owner is notified and an identity check is carried out. If everything matches, the item is returned.

Items can be collected in person at the Lost & Found office at Zurich Airport, sent by post or shipped internationally. Costs depend on the destination and the weight of the item. 

 

#3 The travel companions most often lost

Anyone who has ever misplaced something at the airport or on board an aircraft is certainly not alone. A look inside Swissport’s Lost & Found office shows which items are handed in most frequently. These include:

 

• Mobile phones and tablets
• AirPods
• Sunglasses and prescription glasses 
• Wallets
• Jackets and other clothing 
• Duty-free purchases

 

#4 Unusual items from the Lost & Found office

In addition to everyday objects, Swissport’s Lost & Found office also receives items that surprise even experienced staff. When asked, they recall the following particularly unusual finds: 

• An urn
• A set of dentures 
• A breathing device
• A cooked turkey
• A suitcase containing two cooked ducks and a canister of red wine

 

#5 Tips and tricks for lost items

As much as one might hope otherwise, only around 30 percent of lost items are successfully returned to their owners. One reason is that, for many items, no search request is ever submitted. 

However, simple measures can significantly improve the chances of recovery. The Lost & Found office recommends:

Prevention 

• Carry out a brief personal check before boarding and when leaving the aircraft. Check your seat area, overhead compartments and the floor.
• Keep important items close up to you at all times, especially mobile phones, wallets and travel documents. 

Use technology

• Activate tracking functions. Many headphones, smartphones and trackers can now be located, making the search easier. 
• Label electronic devices with contact details such as an email address or phone number.

Act quickly 

• Report a loss as soon as possible, as the chances of recovery decrease over time.

 

#6 What happens to unclaimed items?

Not all lost property finds its way back to its owner. After three months, if items have still not been collected, they are sold through an official sale. They can then be purchased via a dedicated website – from clothing and accessories to everyday items. In this way, many lost belongings are given a second life rather than remaining unused in storage.