Abaggage handling systemis a type ofconveyor systeminstalled inairportsthat transports checkedluggagefrom ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded ontoairplanes.A baggage handling system also transports checked baggage coming from airplanes to baggage claims or to an area where the bag can be loaded onto another airplane.
History
editThe firstautomatedbaggage handling system was invented by BNP Associates in 1971, and this technology is in use in almost every major airport worldwide today.[1]
Process
editBags are entered into the baggage handling system when an airline agent, or self-check system, assigns each of them a tag with a unique ten-digitbarcode.[2]Airlines are also now incorporating RFID chips into tags to track bags in real time and reduce the number of mishandled bags.[3][4]The baggage handling system then scans and sorts the bags by airline, usually by means of Automatic Tag Readers (ATR). A series of diverters along the conveyor belt then directs the bags through the baggage handling area.[5]
Although a baggage handling system's primary function is the sorting and transportation of bags, a typical system also:
- Detects bag jams
- Regulates input volume, to avoid overloading the system
- Balances loads, to evenly distribute bags betweenconveyorsubsystems
- Counts and tracks bags
Security
editAfterSeptember 11, 2001,the majority of airports around the world began to implement baggage screening directly into baggage handling systems. These systems are referred to as "Checked Baggage Inspection System" by theTransportation Security Administration(TSA) in the US, where bags are fed directly into Explosive Detection System (EDS) machines.[5]A CBIS can sort baggage based on each bag's security status assigned by an EDS machine or by a security screening operator.
References
edit- ^"Baggage Handling".www.bnpassociates.com.Archived fromthe originalon March 29, 2019.RetrievedMarch 29,2019.
- ^Nice, Karim (2001-06-13)."How Baggage Handling Works".HowStuffWorks.RetrievedMarch 25,2019.
- ^"How Airlines Track Bags and Avoid Losing Baggage with RFID".Aeologic Technologies.2022-09-13.
- ^"The technology transforming baggage handling".Airport Technology.2017-07-09.RetrievedMarch 25,2019.
- ^abBaskas, Harriet (April 4, 2018)."The trip your luggage takes without you".USA TODAY.RetrievedMarch 25,2019.