Istanbul New Airport’s contractor and operator IGA has appointed SITA to implement its baggage-tracking solution, which will operate in line with IATA’s Resolution 753 that it set to come into force from June 1, 2018.
The ruling, which states that airlines must track baggage throughout its entire journey, is set to dictate the newest baggage-handling systems. SITA’s baggage solution will provide the IT infrastructure that makes it possible for airlines to track bags at key points in the journey, including check-in, transfer and arrival. Airlines will also be able to receive updates on where their baggage is at each step of the journey.
Yusuf Akçayoğlu, CEO of İGA Airports Construction, said, “We fully understand that having the right technology will be essential to the successful operation of the new airport and future-proofing it for decades to come.
“It is also critical to ensuring our passengers fully benefit from our new, world-class facilities by providing innovative systems that make the journey through the airport enjoyable and effortless. We are confident that we will conclude this cooperation successfully.”
Istanbul New Airport is due to open next year, and will have an immediate capacity of 90 million passengers per year and, upon completion of all four phases, this is expected to rise to over 200 millions passengers per year, with the need to track more than 75,000 bags an hour.
Jihad Boueri, SITA vice president for airports for Middle East, India and Africa, commented, “Baggage is one key area where technology is improving the passenger experience. Increasingly airlines and airports are helping to relieve the anxiety of waiting for bags to arrive by providing real-time information on the status of their bags to passengers.
“At the same time, by understanding where a bag is at any point in its journey, airlines will be able to act proactively to ensure that a bag is correctly allocated to a flight, ensuring it arrives with the passenger at their destination.”