An expert view on tote-based baggage handling

c: BEUMER Group

The decision to use tote-based baggage handling is starting to play a crucial role in helping airports to meet the demands of delivering higher security and efficiency at a reduced OPEX.

As an individual carrier system (ICS), a tote-based system such as CrisBag® gives airports the ability to use standard carriers to convey baggage from check-in to the final destination. Each bag is loaded individually into a tote, or tray, at check-in and stays in the same tote throughout the baggage handling process.

The ICS technology used in CrisBag is fundamental for airports because the individual carriers provide complete track and trace, as well as integrated security screening. Tote-based baggage handling is faster than conventional belt systems thus enabling swifter transfer connection times, with greater energy efficiency and fewer system jams.

Committing to sustainability

With energy savings of up to 60 per cent compared to conventional belt technology, CrisBag tote-based infrastructure can help airports to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals. Consequently, San Francisco Airport (SFO) installed CrisBag (pictured). The shared-use CrisBag enabled SFO to significantly reduce the number of separate systems required to meet its overall capacity targets, while CrisBag’s unique start/stop feature reduces energy consumption as it only runs when a bag is detected, unlike conventional systems which run constantly. The resulting high level of energy efficiency combined with low operational costs help SFO to meet Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9) for building operational resilience and efficiency.

When airports look at investing in critical infrastructure, a balance needs to be made between delivering reliability, sustainability and resilience, while maintaining a low total cost of ownership. The ability to combine all these factors enables tote-based CrisBag baggage handling to deliver significant operational and economic benefits to airport operations and stakeholders.