Terminal planning considerations for current and future trends in baggage handling

This paper is intended as a guide for terminal planners to the spatial considerations relating to baggage handling systems as airports respond to passengers’ growing desire for more control over their travel experience with self-service, on-demand return or third party pick-up and delivery. Airports are also seeking to improve the operational processes of their staff and stakeholders with reduced manual handing and improved efficiency. Regulatory bodies are influencing system design with increased outbound security screening requirements and inbound customs and agricultural screening. Terminal planners need to consider how these can be incorporated into the spaces. This baggage handling guide contains some ‘rules of thumb’ and spatial recommendations. It can be added to the planners’ toolkit to help airport terminals to optimise the operational spaces today and also enable future trends if systems require retrofitting later. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.