SITA, Latam Airlines and Nuevo Pudahuel showcase Leo – the innovative baggage robot - in Santiago, Chile

Leo, the innovative baggage robot developed by global air transport IT provider SITA, was showcased today at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in Santiago, Chile, as part of a presentation on next generation technologies for the first step of the passenger journey at the terminal. Leo is a fully autonomous and self-propelling robot which looks after passengers’ baggage. It’s an example of how robotics could be used by airlines and airports around the world to improve baggage handling. 

This robot meets passengers as they arrive at the airport, checks them in, prints bag tags and takes their bags away for processing. It has an obstacle avoidance technology so can move around a busy airport without bumping into people or things. It is the first step to automating the baggage process from the moment passengers drop their bags to when they collect them at their destination.

Gonzalo Trucco, Airport Manager, LATAM Airlines in Chile, said: “We are an innovative company that understands that the travel journey should be more autonomous and we are committed to the development of new technologies, such as our most recent on-board entertainment system and the mobile travel experience for our passengers. In this sense, exploiting the potential of robotics will drive an impact in the way we travel and this robot represents a great baggage management initiative.”

Nicolas Claude, General Director, Nuevo Pudahuel, explained: “As the operator of Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez Airport we are building the new international terminal 2020, which will increase annual capacity to more than 30 million passengers. This change not only strengthens our current operations but it also allows us to invite new airlines to join. In a year and a half, six new airlines have joined AMB and we are expecting more to do so. Within this framework, it is interesting to explore in collaboration with the various airport partners, all the technological innovations that could improve the passenger experience, such as ‘Leo’.”

Leo’s visit in Santiago, Chile, coincides with the recent publication of SITA’s 2017 Passenger IT trends survey. This report highlights that passenger satisfaction is higher when self-service technology is well integrated throughout the travel journey, particularly during bag tagging, passport control and bag collection. It also shows that passengers rate their journey very highly with an overall satisfaction rate of 8.2 of out 10 but this is boosted even further when technologies such as mobile services and biometrics are used.

Elbson Quadros, SITA Vice President, Latin America, said: “We are in constant contact with our customers, including both LATAM Airlines and Nuevo Pudahuel, about the latest innovative technologies that can improve and facilitate the passenger experience. Robotics, along with biometric identification and artificial intelligence, are changing the way airports will be designed in the future, making travel easier every step of the way and improving the passenger experience.”

For more than 60 years, across Latin America, SITA has provided technology that supports airport and airline operations to meet passengers’ needs. SITA continues to innovate with its airline and airport customers to transform air travel through technology, making air travel easy every step of the way.