Siemens commissions state-of-the-art baggage handling system at Guangzhou Airport

April 28, 2018: In a latest move, Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics (SPPAL) takes step to ease sorting function with its new baggage handling system at the Terminal 2 of Guangzhou International Airport in China.

This is the first sorting system in China, with tray technology. Siemens deployed the latest VarioTray generation to transport and sort the baggage.

This comes right on schedule for the grand opening of the much awaited Terminal 2 by the frequent travelers.

To save airport floorspace, Siemens installed for the first time a fully suspended early bag store (EBS) at Guangzhou which, offering storage space for 4,000 bags, is also the largest EBS anywhere in China.

Designed for a peak throughput of almost 15,500 pieces of baggage per hour, the Siemens system will contribute decisively to the envisaged expansion of the airport’s capacity and to further enhancing passenger convenience.

Major aviation hub Guangzhou International Airport handled almost 66 million air travelers in 2017.

“With our expert local team and great support from the customer, we managed to implement the baggage handling system in Guangzhou in less than two years – that’s a record time,” said Michael Reichle, CEO of Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics.

The conveyor belts run over rollers to prevent dynamic friction between the belts and conveyors, and the considerably reduced weight of the new trays helps to lower energy costs even further.

The heart of the system is a tray-based early bag store offering capacity for 4,000 pieces of baggage in two high-bay warehouses.

Siemens implemented state-of-the-art solutions in passenger service areas as well. In the departure hall over 340 modern check-in desks equipped with automated baggage scanners await air travelers. These include 52 self-check-in stations where passengers can also drop off their baggage, making check-in quick and easy and eliminating long waiting times. And in the arrival area there are 21 ergonomically designed baggage carousels to service passengers.

Siemens has already carried out a number of major airport projects in China. Among the most recent successes are the baggage handling system in Terminal 3 of Beijing International Airport, and projects at Wuhan Tianhe and Xi'an Xianyang international airports. Siemens is currently working on expanding the baggage handling system at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.