BEUMER Group hands-over new baggage handling system at Paris - Charles de Gaulle Airport

BEUMER Group – a leading global supplier of automated baggage handling systems – announces that the new Baggage Handling System (BHS) at Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport has been handed over to the airport operators, Groupe ADP.

The new CrisBag® tote-based BHS will provide 100% tracking of baggage as it is checked-in at the Airport’s Terminal 2E and transported via a 500-meter tunnel to the Satellite 3 (S3) Terminal. The CrisBag system will also provide the speed and capacity to meet the demands of the large-capacity airliners, such as the Airbus A380, which are served by the S3 Satellite.

“BEUMER Group is a long-term partner of Groupe ADP, which is why we were entrusted with the update to the baggage handling system and the integration of the airport’s first ECAC Standard 3 screening system,” explains Klaus Schäfer, Managing Director, BEUMER Group A/S.

With its high redundancy, the CrisBag system will ensure high availability and enable the airport to offer passengers greater flexibility at check-in. The high-speed transportation of baggage from check-in to S3 will allow very short transport time, less than 20 minutes including ECAC Standard 3 screening.

Groupe ADP chose the CrisBag tote-based system for its high reliability which offers the optimum solution for this type of tunnel-based transport. The system consists of more than 2500 CrisBag modules and has a capacity of 3200 bags per hour.

“The technical performance of the system was demonstrated during 2 months of intensive tests involving carrying test luggage and ensuring integrity from a safety point of view, while working around the need to keep the terminal in operation”, explains Nadine Vennat, Groupe ADP Project Director.

She continues, “The BEUMER Group and Alstef teams provided Groupe ADP with operational support during the first 4 weeks of ramp-up operations to help Groupe ADP teams take control of the system. As a first step, ORAT tests were organised to validate the operational processes. Then the system was put into service progressively, check-in group by check-in group, with technical support from BEUMER Group to pilot the supervision station.

“This transitional phase was the key to a smooth start-up. The proximity of the BEUMER Group teams helped to quickly instill confidence and helped us make the decision to use the TDS3 BHS for full operation only 2 months after initial hand-over, at the beginning of summer 2018.”

The combination of high-level controls for the baggage handling system, with SAC and SCADA systems, and the low-level controls, will provide Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport with comprehensive management of the entire baggage handling system process. The high-level controls also feature a web-based user interface to enable remote control of the baggage handling system from a tablet device. In addition, the integration of RFID scanning of bag tags in the new baggage handling system will ensure that Groupe ADP remains at the forefront of airport technology. RFID baggage labels have been shown to minimise the number of mishandled bags and have been trialed by Groupe ADP since 2013 with the installation of RFID scanners by Air France and KLM.

Continued availability of the new baggage handling system is crucial for Paris – Charles de Gaulle, which is one of the world’s 10 busiest airports by passenger traffic. To ensure on-going optimisation and efficiency, Groupe ADP has also awarded BEUMER Group with a contract for the 24/7 maintenance of the CrisBag system. Based on very high Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the contract will ensure that the baggage handling operation maintains the agreed high levels of performance. This will enable Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport to meet its responsibilities to its airlines and passengers.