Baggage handling processes are a vital component of airport operations, directly impacting passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency. With the rapid growth of air travel and increasing passenger expectations, airports around the world are investing in advanced baggage handling systems to streamline operations and improve service quality.
Long-term trends actually show that baggage mishandling rates are reducing. In 2023, the absolute number of mishandled bags reached 36.1 million, which is a 23% drop from the figure in 2007 (46.9 million) – despite the fact that passenger traffic doubled during that period.
Advanced technologies have an important role to play in driving this figure down even further. In this article, we’ll explore the latest innovations in baggage handling systems and how they’re transforming the airport environment.
Common Causes of Baggage Mishandling
There are several key reasons why baggage may be mishandled at any national or international airport, and data from a SITA report reveals that 77% of mishandling cases in 2023 were due to delays.
Tight Connections
Short connection times can create challenges for ground handling staff, making it difficult to ensure that bags are transferred to the correct flight promptly.
Human Error
Mistakes such as misreading baggage tags or entering incorrect information into systems can lead to bags ending up at the wrong destination. The likelihood of human error is heightened by the stress that ground handlers face, especially during busy periods.
Capacity Issues
During peak travel seasons, airports and airlines experience capacity constraints related to staff, equipment, and storage space. These limitations can result in backlogs, causing bags to be processed inefficiently and increasing the chance of mishandling.
Weather Disruptions
Severe weather conditions, such as storms, can disrupt airport operations, leading to flight delays and cancellations. This has a knock-on effect, further complicating baggage handling.
Security Measures
While security screening solutions facilitate enhanced safety, the associated processes can cause delays. During a busy travel period, the requirement for thorough security checks may cause ground staff to fall behind in processing bags and getting them to where they need to be.
Theft and Damage
Although rare, incidents of theft by airport staff or damage during the baggage handling process can increase mishandling rates. Such occurrences can erode passenger trust and lead to financial losses for airlines.
The SITA report showed that lost and stolen bags accounted for 5% of mishandling cases in 2023, while bags that had been damaged or tampered with accounted for 18%.
To mitigate the above issues, airports and airlines must prioritize proper staffing, comprehensive training, and efficient procedures, especially during peak periods. Improved communication among staff is also key.
Modern Baggage Handling Systems
Modern baggage handling solutions are designed to process large volumes of luggage with speed and precision, helping airports meet growing demand and maintain high standards of service. We’ll now take a look at the key attributes of these systems.
Centralized Control
A baggage operations solution provides a comprehensive overview of the entire baggage handling process, allowing airport staff to monitor and manage operations from a single system.
Data is integrated from various sources, including flight operations systems, to provide real-time insights into flight schedules and baggage flows. Staff can then identify potential issues before they escalate and respond quickly, minimizing the impact on passengers.
RFID Technology
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is becoming increasingly popular in baggage handling as it provides greater reliability and accuracy for sorting and tracking luggage.
Unlike traditional barcode systems, which require a direct line of sight to read, RFID tags can be scanned remotely, even when bags are stacked or moving rapidly on a conveyor belt.
Zafire’s Baggage Handling System
Our baggage operations solution integrates data from airlines’ flight schedules, providing a unified view of baggage processing information. Key features include:
- Comprehensive flight details: The solution provides staff with details of all incoming flights and outgoing flights in an easy-to-digest, visual format, for the ultimate visibility.
- Real-time loading progress: Loading progress for open flights is displayed, along with flights that have unprocessed alerts.
- Automated alerts: Monitors baggage handling alerts with SLA dashboards for managers and ground staff.
- Reflighting: Misconnected bags can be reflighted individually or in batches. What’s more, the reason for the misconnection or loss is recorded, along with the actions taken, for future analysis.
- Advanced search tools: Staff can use a broad range of search criteria to find historical and current baggage information.
- Customizable reports: A range of standard and user-configurable reports for flight history and performance data analysis.
- Passenger status update app: Passengers can track their luggage in real-time, along with flight status updates, and details on which baggage carousels to collect from – with an ETA. According to data by SITA, 32% of passengers were using their phones for bag collection updates in 2023.
- FirstBag Mobile: Our baggage reconciliation solution is also available for mobile users, for added efficiency.
The Future of Baggage Handling
Aside from software, what other innovations are making baggage handling more efficient? SITA reported that in 2023, two thirds of airlines offered unassisted bag drop services and 85% of airports introduced the corresponding technologies. What else is on the cards in the near future?
Automated Guided Vehicles
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are used to transport bags between different areas of the airport. They are equipped with sensors and cameras that allow them to navigate safely and efficiently, avoiding obstacles and optimizing routes to reduce travel time.
Automated Baggage Sorting Systems
One of the most significant innovations in baggage handling is the development of automated baggage sorting systems at airports, which use advanced robotics and conveyor technology to sort and direct bags to their correct destinations.
Unlike traditional manual sorting methods, automated systems can process thousands of bags per hour with minimal human intervention, significantly reducing the risk of errors and delays (and reducing the physical labor required of workers).
Automated sorting systems typically use barcode scanners and RFID technology to identify each piece of luggage and direct it to the appropriate conveyor belt.
High-Speed Conveyor Systems
High-speed conveyor systems are another critical innovation. These systems are designed to transport bags quickly and efficiently between different areas of the airport, reducing transit times and enhancing baggage throughput.
Some advanced conveyor systems are equipped with sensors and cameras that enable the real-time monitoring of luggage, ensuring that bags are routed correctly and arrive at their destination on time. Some also use smart technology to adjust conveyor speeds and routing based on real-time data, ensuring the optimal throughput while conserving energy.
In 2021, London Stansted Airport invested £70 million to upgrade to a new, low-energy system of conveyor belts and chutes, and they also introduced 180 automated carts. The conveyor system has 2.4 km of track, making it the longest system of its type in the world. Operating at five meters per second, it takes only six minutes from check-in for a bag to be ready to load onto an aircraft.
Conclusion
Cloud based baggage handling systems are transforming the way airports manage luggage, offering significant benefits in terms of efficiency, security, and passenger satisfaction.
Adopting such solutions will be essential for airports to meet demand and remain competitive in the years to come – and most likely, adopting the other advanced technologies we discussed will also be necessary.
More than 45 million bags are reconciled each year thanks to our software, which is fully IATA 753 compliant. To learn more or request a demo, contact us today.
