Schiphol opens modern new baggage hall
Wednesday16 March, Jos Nijhuis, Schiphol Group's CEO, officially opened the new South baggage hall at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The new baggage hall represents an expansion of Schiphol's baggage handling infrastructure. Moreover, this advanced baggage hall is the first in the world to use extremely innovative techniques that allow baggage to be processed more efficiently and make the work of baggage handling physically less demanding.
South Baggage Hall is located on the south side of Departure Hall 1 and is designed to accommodate the expected growth in baggage flows. The new hall, covering a total surface area of 15,000 m2, has been set up to accommodate baggage handling for both departing and transfer passengers. While handling companies KLM (transavia.com) and Aviapartner are currently using the new hall, in the future it will be used by KLM and its SkyTeam partners. The hall can then process 2,000 transfer bags per hour. The baggage facilities in South will be served by a transport system, currently being installed, that will provide a link to the other baggage handling halls in Schiphol. This link will improve processing speeds for bags that need to be put on a connecting flight.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will make the airport's baggage infrastructure and systems available to the handlers and airlines, which are responsible for processing the baggage to and from the aircraft.
South Baggage Hall is located on the south side of Departure Hall 1 and is designed to accommodate the expected growth in baggage flows. The new hall, covering a total surface area of 15,000 m2, has been set up to accommodate baggage handling for both departing and transfer passengers. While handling companies KLM (transavia.com) and Aviapartner are currently using the new hall, in the future it will be used by KLM and its SkyTeam partners. The hall can then process 2,000 transfer bags per hour. The baggage facilities in South will be served by a transport system, currently being installed, that will provide a link to the other baggage handling halls in Schiphol. This link will improve processing speeds for bags that need to be put on a connecting flight.
Efficient and physically less demanding
In the interest of processing baggage more efficiently and reducing the physical demand on workers, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM have developed a new working method for baggage handing. According to this method, a fully automated baggage buffer (that can hold 4,200 bags temporarily) sends the bags to six baggage robots that load the bags into containers or carts. It is expected that 60 percent of the baggage in South will be lifted by these robots.70 million bags
South Baggage Hall is part of the 70MB programme of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This Schiphol investment programme aims to equip the airport to be able to handle 70 million bags annually in the future - the airport currently handles 50 million. Innovation is a key part of this programme. Last year an automated unloading system, which can empty containers, was put into operation.Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will make the airport's baggage infrastructure and systems available to the handlers and airlines, which are responsible for processing the baggage to and from the aircraft.
