Dublin airport has completed the replacement of its baggage handling system, work on which was started during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The €200 million project has seen 95 per cent of previous equipment replaced, with the overall length of the conveyor belt increasing from nine to 14 km, covering an area of seven Gaelic Athletic Association pitches.
Operator daa said the system had been upgraded in line with European civil aviation standards, and included new and improved screening and detection technology, with “more tracking sensors and cameras to enable the early-spotting and removal of bag jams, which previously had the potential to slow down operations”.
The chief executive of the daa Kenny Jacobs said that over the last six weeks the average time taken for bags to get from stand to the baggage belt was 18 minutes, compared to the EU average of 40 minutes.
“This investment is good news for passengers checking-in bags at Dublin Airport this summer,” said Jacobs. “The benefit of this big investment is a better and quicker integrated system across both T1 and T2, which will result in faster delivery of your bag to and from your aircraft.
“Having a modern, reliable baggage system with the optimum level of security available for our airlines and their handling partners is vital. The timely delivery of this major project earlier this year means the team at Dublin Airport and our baggage infrastructure are ready for a very busy summer ahead.
“The investment is timely as both the number of passengers and checked-in bags is set to grow over the coming years.”
For our recent feature on airport infrastructure projects, see:
