SYNOPSIS

The baggage handling system at an airport plays a crucial role in keeping travellers happy. It also can make the difference in an airport's ability to attract or keep a major airline hub ("an airport that serves as a central connecting point through which many flights of a particular airline are routed" -- Webster's New World Dictionary).

A baggage-handling system has three main jobs:      
1)  Move bags from the check-in area to the departure gate
2)  Move bags from one gate to another during transfers
3)  Move bags from the arrival gate to the baggage-claim area

Each airport has its own requirements. For instance, the time allotted for a bag to make it from the check-in area to the gate is determined by how fast a passenger can make the same trip. In some airports, it might only be a short walk to the passenger terminal, while in others; passengers might have to take a train.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is capable of handling 35 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year in its current phase. It was ranked as the 18th busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, and is the 7th busiest international airport in Asia. The complex handled 34,087,636 passengers in 2010.

In this visit, we'll work our way through the baggage-handling system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, focusing on the Malaysian Airlines terminal. We'll start with an overview.             
1)  Destination-coded vehicles (DCVs),
2)  Unmanned carts propelled by linear induction motors mounted to the tracks, can load and unload bags without stopping.
3)  Automatic scanners scan the labels on the luggage.
4)  Conveyors equipped with junctions and sorting machines automatically route the bags to the gate.

The system incorporates some amazing technology to move bags from the check-in counter to the departure gate in an almost completely automated way.


Note:
•   The visit is strictly limited to 35 participants registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
•   Coach provided from IEM Office