Alstef Group selected for baggage handling system rebuild project at Princess Juliana International Airport, Sint Maarten

Through a rigorous competitive process, Glidepath Limited – now trading as Alstef Group – has been selected to supply, install, and commission the new baggage handling system at Princess Juliana International Airport, the main airport on the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten. 

Princess Juliana International Airport is the major gateway for the surrounding territories and islands, including Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Sint Eustatius. A Dutch and French island where English is mostly spoken, Sint Maarten (the Dutch side) is known for its casinos, festive nightlife, beaches, duty-free shopping, native rum-based guava berry liquors, and aircraft landings.

The project is part of a major national recovery and resilience program managed by the World Bank to repair and rebuild the terminal following extensive damage caused to the airport by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The Baggage Handling System (BHS) replacement includes an outbound sortation system with 22 check-in locations, 12 self-serve bag drops, two in-line Standard 3 CT x-ray machines, a manual encode lane and automatic sortation to three makeup carousels controlled by Alstef Group’s proprietary BAGSORT Lite software. The new inbound system will comprise three new horizontal carousels with feed lines.

“The evaluation criteria for this project were heavily weighted on the proponent’s ability to meet the technical specification requirements and a proven history of comparable BHS project deliveries “states Philippe Hamon, Alstef Group Airport Sales Director. “Only the offers that met the performance and compliance criteria progressed to the economic assessment and this project award proves Alstef Group’s ability to offer technically compliant, economical solutions backed up by a well-established track record” continues Philippe.

“The BHS installation is one of the critical milestones for this high-profile and multifaceted project,” says Mr. Mirto Breell, Project Director of the PJIA operating company. “With the commencement of the main reconstruction works in Q4 2021, we are looking forward to the new and improved baggage handling system and a healthy, long-term working relationship with Glidepath/Alstef Group”.

Alstef Group has been delivering baggage handling solutions and support to islands in the Caribbean for decades, most recently for projects in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. The BHS project will be implemented in several phases, with completion set for June 2023.

Company Profile:  

Alstef Group designs, integrates and supports automated turnkey solutions for the airport, intralogistics and parcel markets. Its mission is to create intelligent solutions that not only meet the needs of its customers, but also provide them with the long-term benefits of a tailor-made automated system that is efficient, scalable and innovative.

Across more than 10 countries and with installed systems on all five continents, Alstef Group has around than 800 employees within its three business units: Alstef Automation, BA Systèmes, and Glidepath. The group generated revenue of €163,4 million in 2021.