Aircraft lined at up Schophol Airport (AMS) in Amsterdam

Aircraft lined at up Schophol Airport (AMS) in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS) is the 5th largest airport in Europe and the 15th largest in the world. Already the airport is busy and they only expect it get busier. The problem is there isn’t a whole lot more room to expand the airport and one of the biggest challenges is handling all the luggage. Since they can’t grow bigger, they have had to grown smarter. The airport has been working with IBM to create a futuristic way to handle bags.

The system is housed at the new South Baggage Hall where they hope to increase bag capacity by 40% before 2018. The new system is important, ’œto create an efficient, reliable and fast baggage handling process,’ said Mark Lakerveld, Senior Manager Baggage at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

No matter where your bag might be in the 13 miles of conveyor system or 4,000 bag positions, the new system can track exactly where it is at. The new baggage operation has 36 cranes and 60% will be handled by robots (yes, robots). After you check in, your bag will be placed into the bag storage. Then a robot will take your bag when needed and place it on the conveyor belt, reducing overload in the system. The new luggage process is connected to real-time flight information, meaning your bag will only be pulled when your plane is ready for it.

Is this the future of airport baggage systems? Possibly. When asked if we might be seeing this system at other airports, IBM spokesperson stated, “There are a couple of similar efforts that are happening internationally that can’t be named specifically.  This example is indicative of what is beginning to happen and we will see more of in airports across the world — focusing on being smarter about how they utilize the space that they have.”

Although great on paper, let’s how this is not a repeat of Denver International Airport (DEN) attempted at a similar high-tech airport luggage system in the early 1990s. Let’s hope that Schiphol has a little better luck.

Check out this video from IBM on how the system works.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & FOUNDER - SEATTLE, WA. David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has been quoted and written for a number of news organizations, including BBC, CNN, NBC News, Bloomberg, and others. He is passionate about sharing the complexities, the benefits, and the fun stuff of the airline business. Email me: david@airlinereporter.com

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2 Comments
William Spurling

I have just flown to the UK on my leave from Russia via Schipol. My luggage never arrived in the UK and it had to be delivered to my home. When I returned to Russia my baggage never arrive at Moscow via Schipol.
I had a six hour wait in Schipol for my flight to Moscow and I am very dissapointed they cannot transfer bags to ongoing flights. I had to get a 9 hour flight from Moscow to Sakhalin without my bags and then I had to cancel my 15 hour train journey to my work location. I had to wait overnight in Yuzhno in Sakalinsk for my bags to arrive as they will not deliver them unless I go to the Aiport myself to pick them up. Something is seriously not working at Schipol because there was about 20 other passengers without bags arriving at Moscow

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