Wide range of solutions“We’ve seen a wide range of Self Bag Drop concepts emerge in the past couple of years”, says Peter Hoefkens, Business Development Manager for baggage handling at Vanderlande Industries. “And each of them has its own merits and applicability. But no two airports are the same, with different regional regulations, terminal sizes and layouts, passenger profiles, types of flights and operator needs. That’s why we always start with a detailed investigation of the individual situation before we advise on the best solution. Then we can draw on a range of solutions to implement a cost-effective system.”

Looking at the check-in and bag drop process itself, this consists of a number of steps. First of all the passenger has to check-in and get a boarding pass (often done online), then the baggage has to be tagged with a barcode tag for identification and sorting, and finally the baggage is physically handed-over to the airport or airline. At this point a weight check is usually performed, with charges being applied where applicable. And finally, there needs to be a check on conveyability to reduce the risk of downstream jams caused by oversize or odd-shaped baggage, for example with the automated BAGCHECK system which reduces the chance of jams and resulting costly delays. These steps can be integrated to a varying extent, with either a two stop solution with separate check in/tagging and bag drop functions or a one stop solution combining all functions at a single service point.“The design of a Self Bag Drop solution will to a large extent depend on the size and layout of the check-in hall and process”, Peter Hoefkens explains. “Other important factors include whether the system is for a new facility or a retrofit in an existing hall, the capacity and peak load requirements, what types of passengers are handled, whether a one- or two-stop solution is preferred, who the operators of the system are, and what type of baggage handling system and software is already in use at the airport.”

Comparing different solutionsOnce these factors have been identified, a preliminary concept design can be prepared. At this stage it’s important to be able to

compare different solutions and configurations, and to analyse their impact on operating costs, and on passenger flows and baggage handling capacity. To do this objectively Vanderlande Industries uses decision support tools to help airports decide on the right configuration. Like a simulation model to visualise and analyse dynamic behaviour of processing times in a range of operational situations with different ratios of staffed check-in desks to unstaffed Self Bag Drop points.

“A check-in and Self Bag Drop solution doesn’t work in isolation, so integration with the existing systems and infrastructure is a vital success factor”

Simulation in this way allows fine tuning of the check-in configuration and the layout and number of Self Bag Drop points, based on a comparison of outcomes including passenger throughput times, process times and crowding levels in the check-in hall. “These simulations show that different check-in configurations can have widely varying outcomes in terms of important factors like passenger waiting times, service levels and operational costs”, says Peter Hoefkens. “They underline our view that it’s important to be able to draw on a range of concepts to enable us to deliver the right solution in each case.”

System integration is a vital success factor“But of course any check-in and Self Bag Drop solution doesn’t work in isolation. Integration with the existing systems and infrastructure is a vital success factor, and the ability to choose from a wide range of solutions places great demands on system integration skills. Thanks to our experience in implementing systems in a wide range of environments, we are well placed help airports make the right choice for their specific needs. We have Self Bag Drop solutions running at several airports and have demonstration configurations installed in our Innovation Centre so potential users can gain hands-on experience of how these systems work in practice. That can make a big contribution to selecting the right solution and configuration.”

Manned check-in units at Oslo Airport

CASE STUDY

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