The so-called transition phase from the baggage sorting system toZurich airport began on November 6. This system transports and sorts the baggage of all departing passengers and assigns them to the respective flight, indicates the press release from the Swiss platform.
With the integration of the new system, the old baggage sorting system at Zurich Airport will be gradually reduced. After several months of intensive preparation for the transition, it is now ready for use in operations. In order for the change to take place as smoothly as possible, Flughafen Zurich AG took various measures.
For example, more staff will be deployed during the transition to monitor hotspots on site. The new system of baggage sorting became necessary as the old system reached the end of its life cycle. With this new system, Zurich Airport ensures that “baggage distribution will continue to work reliably in the future”. In addition, there are new European regulations on the security screening of checked baggage. The new infrastructure at Zurich Airport, costing around 400 million Swiss francs, will be operational for 20 to 25 years. It is equipped with cutting-edge technology and has significantly better energy efficiency than its predecessor.
From here end of January 2024baggage sorting will have been transformed to such an extent that 100% of checked baggage at Zurich Airport will be checked in accordance with the new regulations of the EU. In fall 2024, the systems to and from Dock E will be replaced. The complete replacement of the old installation is expected to take until 2026and final conversions will be completed by 2027. In total, the new baggage sorting system covers approximately 25 kilometers of conveyor line. It is driven by 5,500 motors and monitored by 5,600 sensors. On average, around 30,000 bags pass through the baggage sorting system at Zurich Airport every day.
