Baggage handling: A market ever changing

The emergence of COVID-19 has led to a change in people’s habits, as new rules such as social distancing have been introduced to combat the infection. The changes have had a deep impact upon the management of airports, and consequently upon the baggage handling industry, where one of the main goals has been to minimise the manual handling of baggage.

Against this backdrop, Leonardo has invested to respond to these new needs, offering its customers high performance technologies across its range of products and services.

A recent highlight of the company’s approach can be seen in the evolution of Leonardo’s Multisort Baggage Handling System (MBHS). This sorter, based on cross-belt technology, is one of the most advanced and highest performing baggage handling systems on the market.

Following recent technological evolutions, the MBHS is now the world’s only such system to be able to overcome gradients of up to 15° and vertical differences of over 8m.

This means that the MBHS can be installed at airport facilities in which security and sorting process take place on different floors. This advantage is significant because it allows for a single machine to manage both processes, as well as transporting baggage between the different areas.

The latest version of the MBHS also introduces a number of further technological innovations: new control electronics that represent a generational step-change compared to previous versions; the introduction of extremely durable materials for certain critical components; extending the longevity of the system; and a new set of curves with varying sizes of radii, making the whole system more configurable and adaptable to satisfy the requirements of customers who need particular layouts.

Leonardo also continues to improve its portfolio of automation services, drawing on technological innovation to make its offerings smarter. For example, improved diagnostics allow for predictive analysis of entire facilities, allowing for faster responses to changes and adapting more swiftly to customer needs.

Leonardo is a leader in the international baggage handling market and has equipped European airports including Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Bergamo, Zurich, Frankfurt, Geneva and Paris Orly, as well as airports in the Middle East and Asia Pacific including Kuwait International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.