Leonardo has signed two new contracts in Europe in the airport logistics sector with a total value of over 100 million euros. The projects will see Baggage Handling Systems (BHS) revamped at Geneva Airport, the second biggest airport in Switzerland with over 17 million passengers annually, and at Athens International Airport. With annual traffic of over 24 million business and leisure passengers, Athens International Airport is the main gateway to Greece, serving the city of Athens since 2001.
In Geneva, the new sorting system will completely replace the existing facility at the end of 2023, in the meantime it will go into operation gradually during the implementation phase to ensure the continuity of airport operations. Leonardo will plan, design and deliver a brand new facility which will carry out all of the airport’s baggage handling, including at departures and arrivals, with a sorting capacity of over 5,200 bags per hour. Bags will be tracked with automatic label readers which can recognise both barcodes and printed characters. The project will include 8.5 km of conveyor belts, an Early Baggage System with a capacity of 2,400 bags, the entire control system which includes EasyAirport, Leonardo’s Sorting Allocation Computer solution, and 2 MBHS® (Multi-sorting Baggage Handling System) cross-belt sorters.
In Athens, a new “Transfer Baggage Facility” will be constructed and baggage infrastructure throughout the rest of the airport will be completely overhauled and extended by 2020. Leonardo will be responsible for managing the entire project, from design to system integration, as well as for the supply of all equipment including sorting machines and IT systems. The project will see the existing North Baggage Hall handling system’s electromechanical and IT components replaced to meet the latest security standards, improve reliability and expand capacity to more than 3,000 bags per hour. Leonardo’s solution includes a 240m MBHS® cross-belt sorter, more than 5 km of conveyors, check-ins and carousels. An option to implement the same modifications at the South Baggage Hall is included in the contract.