Major Contract Win for Canary Islands Baggage Handling System
Jan 25, 2008
FKI Logistex - a global leader in integrated material handling solutions - continues to strengthen its presence in Europe following a major contract win from AENA (Aeropuertos Espaoles y Navegacin Area) for Fuerteventura Airport in the Canary Islands. Valued at almost 30 million euros, this prestigious installation will form a key part of a three billion euro investment, covering eight airports in the Islands.
FKI Logistex, which has installations in mainland Spain at Madrid and Barcelona airports, will be the main contractor for this state-of-the-art baggage handling system. Due to be handed over in 2009, this extensive contract includes the supply and integration of almost six kilometres of the FKI Logistex CrisBag baggage sortation, early baggage storage and transportation system.
A two years full maintenance and operation back-up agreement also forms a key part of this contract.
The new baggage handling system for Fuerteventura will be designed by FKI Logistex to handle an average of 5,760 items of luggage per hour but will incorporate a five minutes peak surge capacity of up to 7,500 items per hour.
"The new system for Fuerteventura airport represents the latest technologies within baggage handling and is a result of many years of experience in the airport industry. The contract with AENA confirms the unique position of our company as a preferred supplier for the leading international airports. It bodes well for the company in the years to come says Erik Hoffmann-Petersen, Director for Airport Systems, FKI Logistex European Operations.
The ground-breaking CrisBag technology has been developed for high-speed, trouble-free baggage handling. The compact, space-saving system combines baggage sortation, early baggage storage and transportation in one highly efficient unit. It operates as a tote transport system, whereby the baggage is loaded into totes and transported out of a loading station. It may then pass through a security screening system, with an optional stay in early baggage storage, and finally it is sorted prior to discharge to the intended destination.
CrisBag loads each bag into a dedicated transport tote as soon as it enters the system, either at check-in or when an operator unloads transfer baggage. Holding the baggage in the tote until discharge ensures gentle handling and 100 per cent accurate track and tracing of totes and bags throughout the operation. When necessary, it is possible to stop any line without risk of tote collision and to restart without losing track of any items.
Requiring minimal maintenance, CrisBag is based on a modular concept which demands a relatively limited number of different components, such as straight and curved sections, mergers and diverters; these are easily put together to form a customised baggage handling system. As a result, CrisBag will meet virtually any individual baggage handling requirements in terms of throughput, input and output points and functionality.
One of the central design philosophies behind CrisBag is to continuously maintain individual control of each tote at any given time. The highly flexible modular concept is maintained throughout the mechanics, control system and electrical wiring in order to provide total scalability for small to very large systems.
The control system only switches on the elements actually required to transport the baggage. CrisBag is therefore a much more energy efficient and environmentally friendly solution than traditional Baggage Handling Systems where all elements are permanently switched on when the system is operational.
The CrisBag system allows safe x-ray screening of baggage whilst in each tote, avoiding need for time-consuming unloading and loading and eliminating risk of tracking errors.
Each element is pre-cabled and acceptance tested before leaving the FKI Logistex plant to reduce on-site testing and installation time. In addition, the modular concept applies to the CrisBag control system which significantly reduces the time required for commissioning.
The FKI Logistex Customer Service and Support (CSS) team is geared to provide fast, efficient back-up during the entire lifetime of each baggage sortation installation. Ensuring optimal performance and the systems long-term capabilities, a 24/7 help desk delivers trouble-free access to on- and off-site technical assistance, maintenance and training.
In terms of the people, finance, back-up systems and controls needed to complete a baggage handling installation on time and on budget, FKI Logistex is fully geared to operate as a total solution designer and project integrator - as in the case of Fuerteventura Airport. This involves the company accepting full responsibility for specifying, installing and commissioning all FKI Logistex and third-party products and services involved in delivering the project.
This expanded capacity at Fuerteventura is essential in meeting the growth in the number of holidaymakers to the Canary Islands - an essential part of the Spanish tourism sector, representing a fourth of its total income. Tourism is the powerhouse of the islands economy, being the primary source of employment for Two thirds of the population. Combined, the Canary Islands airports handle as much traffic as Spains second airport - with over 33 million passengers and 350,000 aircraft movements a year.
Fuerteventura Airport is located in El Matorral, five kilometres from the island capital of Puerto del Rosario. The majority of flights are to and from EU countries with Germany and the United Kingdom representing some 79 percent of the international traffic. Domestic flights involve three destinations Gran Canaria, Madrid Barajas and Tenerife Norte. In 2006, the airport handled 4,458,711 passengers, 44,044 flight operations and 3,197 tonnes of cargo.
