Automatic Systems for Cargo and Baggage Handling and Airline Catering

ICM Airport Technics has been awarded a tender by Heathrow Airport Ltd to install Self Service Bag Drop trial units at Heathrow Airport. An off-site trial unit of the system has been installed since the beginning of March 2012. The aim is to demonstrate the system and provide confidence to airlines and their stakeholders as well as Heathrow’s operators prior to preparing for the on-site trial units which are scheduled for installation during the second half of 2012.

The off-site trial verifies the Self Service Bag Drop functionality which has been tailored to the requirements of the airport, the trial partner airlines – British Airways and Qantas – and the relevant regulatory bodies and includes common use capabilities and the ability to process passengers for international flights as well as domestic passengers.

And this is how the Auto Bag Drop system works: As a passenger wishes to check-in his baggage, a scan of the boarding card displays the menu of the respective airline on a touch screen. After checking the boarding details, the system invites passengers to place their luggage on the conveyor belt, where a check of the bag size and weight is carried out. Should the bag exceed the permissible luggage limit, the system presents the passenger with the option of either repacking or paying an additional charge, with the surcharge also calculated and charged directly at the self-service terminal. If necessary, the system will also print out a “heavy” sticker with which to label the excess baggage. Finally, the conveyor belt then transports the bag to the airport's internal baggage handling facility.

Since 2010 ICM delivered a successful roll-out of 80 Auto Bag Drop systems for Qantas Airlines in 6 airports across Australia. By now more than 5 million bags have been successfully injected using the Auto Bag Drops.

ICM will be demonstrating the Auto Bag Drop at Stand # 1040 at the Passenger Terminal Conference and Expo 2012 in Vienna, Austria on 18 -20 April 2012.