Copenhagen Airport in Denmark has unveiled its plans to tender a contract for the expansion of two of its baggage handling systems (BHS), resulting in longer baggage conveyors and more space for passengers.
The airport handles up to 35,000 inbound bags on a daily basis and requires an enhanced baggage reclaim area to help deal with the projected growth in passengers over the coming years.
The project will involve extending two of the eight baggage conveyors while creating an extra 5,400ft² for passengers. This will require major modifications to the reclaim area as well as the creation of new technical facilities and new access roads for the baggage staff. The airport has estimated that the project will cost no less than Dkr100m (US$15m).
Kristian Durhuus, chief operations officer, said, “In recent years, we have seen quite significant growth in passenger numbers; in the first seven months of this year alone, the growth rate was 10.7%. Although far more passengers today only travel with carry-on baggage, the overall volume of checked baggage has also grown somewhat. We have therefore started planning for the expansion of the baggage reclaim area.
“It is a very complex job to build at the very heart of a busy airport without affecting passengers and operations,” added Durhuus. “It requires tight planning and plenty of time. We therefore expect that the planned expansion will be ready for use in a couple of years. Right now, the target is the summer of 2018, but we will know more about that when the project is ready for start-up.
“The project is being developed in a close collaboration with the airlines and the handling companies that handle both inbound and outbound baggage,” concluded Durhuus.