Ad Rutten, Executive Vice President & COO of Schiphol Group, launched the implementation of a state-of-the art baggage transport system known as the Backbone, in a special ceremony attended by Michiel Peters, President & CEO of VanderLande Industries and Charles Vincent, Managing Director of IBM Travel & Transport Europe. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol recently signed a contract for the system with Vanderlande and IBM.
 
Transport system connects baggage basements
The new transport system will link the airport's West, E, D and South baggage basements , thus creating an integrated baggage system. The Backbone will ensure a more flexible, reliable and high-quality baggage sorting system. This will create more back- up capacity, reducing the likelihood of disruptions to the baggage-handling process in the event of a system failure. Work is scheduled to start in March 2010, and is expected to last until mid-2013. Two rows of check-in desks in Departure Hall 2 will be closed alternately from May 2011 through September 2012 in order to facilitate the completion of the new Backbone.
 
Completion of transfer unloading quays
Today also saw the official commissioning of four transfer unloading quays on pier E. The unloading quays - equipped with the latest screening systems - will offer additional capacity and ensure a rapid and efficient transfer baggage process.
 
70 MB
The construction of the Backbone and commissioning of the transfer unloading quays con-stitutes a key step in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol's 70 MB programme. This programme is aimed at increasing capacity to 70 million baggage items in the future. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will invest a total of approximately EUR 800 million in expanding baggage-handling system capacity and improving the quality and reliability of the system. The 70 MB programme is currently the airport's largest investment programme. Amsterdam AirportSchiphol is working closely with KLM to realise the project.
 
Baggage at Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol makes the airport's baggage infrastructure and systems available to the various handling agents and airlines. They have responsibility for the further processing of baggage to and from the aircraft.
 
About Vanderlande Industries
Vanderlande Industries provides automated material handling systems and accompanying services for Baggage Handling at airports, Distribution Centres and Parcel and Postal sortation facilities. The Company is globally active and world market leader in baggage handling. vanderlande.com
 
About IBM
IBM has extensive expertise in baggage handling solutions and is involved in several other projects with Schiphol Airport and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines through its Baggage Center of Excellence in Amsterdam. The Center provides baggage management systems globally. ibm.com
 
About Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol welcomed 47.4 million passengers and handled over more then 1.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2008, ranking as Europe's fifth-largest passenger and third-largest cargo airport. Around 99 scheduled airlines operate flight services from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to some 262 destinations worldwide. The airport thus ranks as one of Europe’s fourth major hubs and one of the two principal home bases to Air France-KLM and the SkyTeam alliance. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a major driver of the regional Dutch economy generating on-airport jobs for more then 65,000 people. Schiphol was presented with the ‘ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award’ 2009. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol forms part of Schiphol Group. The company is an airport operator and operates airports both in the Netherlands and abroad. Schiphol Group's ambition is to rank among the world's leading airport companies. schiphol.nl