Centralny Port Komunikacyjny announces a tender for CPK airport’s baggage handling system

Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has launched a tender for the design, delivery and implementation of the Baggage Handling System (BHS) for CPK airport.

Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has launched a tender for the design, delivery and implementation of the Baggage Handling System (BHS) for CPK airport. The contractors may apply to participate in the competitive dialogue procedure by February 12, 2024. The baggage handling system plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient and accurate movement of luggage within airports and ensures accurate and timely delivery to passengers connecting from Warsaw to their next flight.

The goal of the competitive dialogue procedure is the analysis of the BHS’ conceptual design with regard to the System design’s implementation methods and the introduction – together with the potential operators – of a more precise tender call description, as well as verification of the main terms of the contract. 

“Baggage handling system is the heart of every airport. We have launched the competitive dialogue procedure, which in its first stage will identify the most suitable industry players. In the second stage, once the cooperation conditions have been defined, we will invite four potential contractors to submit final bids. Our goal is to have a reliable system that will ensure quick luggage transfer for the passengers transferring at CPK, while no bags being lost” says Mikołaj Wild, CEO of CPK.

The scope of the call includes, among others, the BHS executive project development, supply and installation of equipment, followed by the commissioning of the system, testing and its operation and maintenance. In addition, the company provides for the possibility of extension of the operation and maintenance period under the right of option, and, if needed, the call scope extension by adding the checked baggage screening devices delivery.

In order to reduce the number of baggage losses to a minimum, the CPK representatives have carefully reviewed the solutions used at Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, CPK’s strategic advisor, where rates for lost baggage amount to only one in a million.

BHS is one of many infrastructural constraints of the Chopin Airport, which is reaching its capacity limit. At peak traffic periods, such as the summer peak, Chopin airport needs even up to 84 technical personnel (excluding the handling). The terminal’s hourly capacity, taking into account traffic restrictions of the baggage sorting facility, is 1,800 bags at departures and 2,200 at arrivals, which is equivalent to six or seven B787 Dreamliner aircrafts.

CPK plans to invite four potential contractors to the competitive dialogue. In case of a higher number of proposals that meet the procedure’s conditions, CPK will assess the applications on the basis of the selection criteria referred in the documentation. Next, the applicants with the highest number of points will be invited to participate in the dialogue.

CPK invites companies that in the last 25 years have launched BHS in airports with yearly capacity of over 30 million passengers and have been responsible for the construction of early baggage system (EBS) building.

So far, work on the design and construction of CPK airport is on schedule. In July, CPK presented the concept design of the passenger terminal, as well as railway and bus stations. The documentation was prepared by the Master Architect – British consortium Foster+Partners and Buro Happold that has previously designed passenger terminal in Hong Kong, Beijing, Doha, and others. The construction plan is underway and is expected to be completed in second quarter of this year.

Works on the design of the airport’s apron, including runways, taxiways as well as aircrafts aprons are at an advanced stage, and are being managed by the Master Civil Engineer (MCE) – Lebanese-American company Dar, while the Spanish company IDOM is designing the airport systems integration, which is, figuratively speaking, the airport’s “nervous system”.

The carrying out of the project documentation for the supporting infrastructure including the airport traffic control tower – is being performed within the framework agreement by the Polish design studio JSK Architekci. At the same time another Polish consortium, AKE Studio, APA and Tequm is working on the airport’s rescue and firefighting services’ building design.

In October last year CPK has selected the French group Vinci Airports and the Australian IFM Global Infrastructure Fund (IFM) as strategic investor who will acquire up to 49% of company shares for the construction and management of the airport. The entry of experienced industry and financial investors proves that the airport project has a well prepared business plan, commercial potential and guarantees a high return on investment.

CPK is in active dialogue with the market, preparing for procurement proceedings. The preliminary market consultations in various areas are underway. For example in December last year CPK has begun the market consultation prior to the tender for the Master Contract Engineer which will be the biggest investor supervision contract in Poland.

According to latest forecasts of IATA, the CPK infrastructure is crucial for LOT Polish Airlines to provide the currently lacking capacity and manage the growing potential of the transfer traffic. The strategic scenario of IATA from June last year assumes that CPK will handle about 40 million passengers in 2040, so twice as many as the Chopin Airport.