Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport is testing Vanderlande’s autonomous vehicle solution FLEET to transfer bags and improve the experience for passengers.
The robotic system, which is being tested in the recheck area in Terminal D, can handle about 450 bags per hour.
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It is being tested with transfer passengers who arrive from international flights and connect through DFW.
Customers who take part in the pilot programme will utilise one of four self-bag-drop units, and identify the airline for their connecting flight using a touch screen.
An individual piece of luggage will then be transferred by each FLEET vehicle, taking the passenger’s bag to the appropriate baggage belt.
DFW executive vice-president of infrastructure and development Khaled Naja said: “DFW is testing the process to see how we might provide our customers with a more seamless journey using the award-winning technology within our current baggage infrastructure, and integrating automation for efficiency.
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By GlobalData“As we go through the pilot programme, DFW will evaluate this new technology and assess potential applications of robots and autonomous vehicles at different points within the airport.”
DFW recently introduced TSA Security wait times on the DFW Mobile App. The new feature displays real-time wait time data for all of the airport’s 15 checkpoints.
DFW Airport warmly welcomes over 69 million customers along their journey every year. Customers can select from 182 domestic and 62 international non-stop destinations.
Vanderlande’s baggage handling systems move 4.2 billion pieces of luggage across the world annually.
The company’s systems, which sort over 45 million parcels, are active in 600 airports including 14 of the world’s top 20.
In May 2019, Vanderlande secured a contract to implement a significant upgrade to the baggage handling system at Brussels Airport.
Vanderlande said the contract forms an important part of a 20-year framework agreement signed with the Brussels Airport Company (BAC) in March 2019.
