New Delhi

Delhi airport to have modern baggage handling system

NEW DELHI: Delhi International Airport Ltd. has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply the baggage handling system for the upcoming Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

The system will have the capacity to handle over 11,300 pieces of baggage per hour. A baggage x-ray system for full inspection will also be integrated. The total value of the contract is 36 million euros. Terminal 3 is slated for completion by March 2010. It will have 78 boarding bridges for national and international passengers and is designed to handle nearly 34 million passengers.

The Siemens Mobility Division (Erlangen, Germany) is a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions. It will be supplying the baggage handling system for the project. Bags can be handed in at 168 check-in desks at the departures level of the terminal. For oversize luggage, there will be five desks available. A total of 28 x-ray stations will be integrated into the system so that all baggage can be subjected to cent per cent security inspection, said a DIAL release.

At the Arrivals level of the new terminal, 12 baggage claim systems will ensure hassle-free distribution of baggage to travellers.

The in-line baggage system is being introduced to help passengers save time as it creates a “seamless transition” of baggage from passengers to the aircraft without them having to queue up in a separate line for x-ray screening before check-in.

“The system includes a combination of conveyor belts, bar code readers and in-line baggage sorters that allows passengers to proceed straight to the check-in counter and receive their boarding pass while the baggage gets checked and assigned automatically. It will also provide an enhanced level of security technology,” said a DIAL official.

“According to some estimates, the number of passengers in India is expected to grow by an average of 8.6 per cent per year up to 2011,” the official added.

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