Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands has installed three transfer belts to enable employees in the baggage hall to unload baggage from arriving flights more quickly and easily.
In addition, in the first quarter of 2024 a lifting aid will be installed in the baggage hall on a trial basis to ensure baggage for departing flights can be loaded quickly and easily. Based on this experience, the airport will decide whether and how soon it can install these lifting aids at all 18 loading bays. Lifting aids are projected to reduce employees’ physical strain.
Mirjam van den Bogaard, chief operations officer at Eindhoven Airport, said, “The working conditions of airport employees are very important to Eindhoven Airport. Therefore, in consultation with our handling agent, we are constantly looking at where we can improve things and how we can make the work of baggage employees less stressful. This investment in lifting aids is a clear example of that.”
Handler Viggo will also begin testing a lifting aid for the Power Stow (a conveyor belt for loading and unloading luggage in/out of the aircraft) in January 2024. This attachment will make it easier for employees to load and unload baggage on the apron. If this lifting aid is well liked, the handler will order nine more. These are then expected to be put into service at the end of 2024. To reduce the need to pull and push luggage carts, Viggo recently purchased an electric tug with which carts can be linked together ergonomically on the platform. This machine is also suitable for moving multiple carts in the walking area.
Eindhoven Airport and Viggo, together with TU/Delft, are also looking at how innovation, new technologies and smart solutions can be used to ease the work of ramp workers loading aircraft. This includes making the last bit of lifting in the hold of the aircraft easier. Passenger hold luggage will enter the hold loose – no roll cages will be used. For this reason, 16 students will spend 12 weeks researching how to reduce lifting in the hold to deliver a realistic minimum viable product. The premise is that it can be tested in an operational environment.
Read more of the latest baggage updates from the passenger terminal industry, here.