Baggage Handling Research Articles

Air Passenger Rights Case Law Developments from 1 December 2023 to 15 June 2024

From 1 December 2023 to 15 June 2024, there have been several case developments in relation to air passenger rights. The first part of this article highlights recent decisions from the Court of Justice of the European Union that have shed light on the interpretation of EU Regulation No 261/2004, Package Travel Directive (EU) 2015/2302 and Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts.In the case Laudamotion GmbH v. flightright GmbH the Court stressed the standardized nature of compensation for a flight delay and held that for compensation claims under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 due to a significant flight delay, passengers must adhere to the check-in requirements specified by the airline, even if they have already completed online check-in.In the case Eventmedia Soluciones SL v. Air Europa Líneas Aéreas SAU, the Court defined the rules governing the inclusion, in a contract of carriage, of a clause prohibiting the transfer of rights by passengers and the right of claim management companies to bring proceedings against airlines. In the case Cobult UG v. TAP Air Portugal SA (TAP), the Court clarified the rules applicable to passengers’ consent to the reimbursement of the cost of their ticket by a travel voucher rather than by a sum of money. In the case Touristic Aviation Services Limited (TAS) v. Flightright GmbH, the Court ruled that the shortage of staff at the airport responsible for baggage handling could be considered an extraordinary circumstance, provided the airline could demonstrate that they had taken all reasonable measures to prevent the delay.In the case QM v. Kiwi Tours GmbH, the Court held that to establish the existence of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances significantly impacting the performance of a travel package, for the purpose of claiming a refund under Directive (EU) 2015/2302, only the situation prevailing on the date when the traveler terminated their travel contract should be considered. In the case Eventmedia Soluciones SL v. Air Europa Líneas Aéreas, the Court ruled on the fairness of clauses governing the assignment of rights by passengers to third parties under Directive 93/13/EEC on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within SmartLynx Airlines to Increase Operational Efficiency

This article investigates the current and potential future applications of AI in the SmartLynx airlines. The airline industry is a complex system that requires efficient and effective management of various operations, including revenue management, flight operations, customer service, and baggage handling. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges faced by many other airlines. The aim of this research is to analyze SmartLynx Airlines' operational efficiency in flight operations segments of the Latvian aviation industry and to develop recommendations for improving the current operational strategy for the company through the integration of AI-supported tools with conventional flight operation tools. Research tasks are: (1) to conceptualize theoretical aspects of the use of AI in the aviation industry; (2) to perform empirical research regarding current operational issues and study the use of AI in SmartLynx Airlines to improve these issues; (3) to work out recommendations. The current research employs the quantitative approach – a survey of SmartLynx employees of various departments.

Analyzing Passenger Experience: A Study On Airline Mishandling Incidents At Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3

This research delves deep into the complex dynamics of airline mishandling incidents at NAIA Terminal 3, aiming to reveal their intricate effects on passenger experiences. With a focus on understanding the connections between mishandling, flight disruptions, and broader implications for airline operations, the study intends to offer a comprehensive view. Using a precise approach, the researchers adjusted Slovin's formula to pinpoint an exact sample size of 300 respondents, ensuring a detailed exploration of passenger encounters despite time constraints. They achieved a 14% response rate, providing insights into the diverse landscape of travelers. Going beyond traditional surveys, the study incorporated qualitative aspects through interviews with informants, including airport and airline personnel. This dual-method strategy facilitated a nuanced analysis of mishandling incidents, capturing the subtle challenges faced by both passengers and industry professionals. The results emphasized the significant impact of mishandling on operational efficiency, highlighting the need for improved baggage handling and security measures. The study concludes with practical recommendations, advocating for clear communication, technological advancements, and ongoing staff training to enhance the overall airport experience. This research serves as a valuable guide for aviation stakeholders, offering a roadmap to address mishandling incidents and improve passenger satisfaction.

Luggage Management System in order to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Ensure Sustainability

Air transport is a vital enabler of growth in the economy. It contributes to the economy by supporting trade and tourism. However, air transportation also affects our environment by increasing carbon emissions. Additionally, the use of private vehicles or taxis to access the airport also contributes to carbon emissions. With this study, considering that transportation to the airport has different difficulties in big cities, a mobile system will be developed that offers processes such as airport access, check-in, and luggage delivery in a single module, facilitates the person's transportation process to the airport and aims to protect the environment by directing them to public transportation. The main goal to be achieved with the luggage management software is to direct people's individual transportation to the airport to public transportation and thus, reduce carbon emissions. It is also aimed to automate the check-in process of luggage given to the plane and to reduce the time spent at the airport. Since the main aim of this study is to improve airport luggage handling, a business process improvement (BPM) approach will be adopted. Business process analysis and improvement will be used to identify, analyze, and optimize existing luggage processes. Additionally, user-centered design principles will be applied to add many user interface features to enhance user experience. The systems offering the same service are limited and there is a clear market in this field. The process will be digitized and streamlined. Time lost at the airport is going to be minimized and flight access is going to be facilitated.

An Overview of Demand Analysis and Forecasting Algorithms for the Flow of Checked Baggage among Departing Passengers

The research on baggage flow plays a pivotal role in achieving the efficient and intelligent allocation and scheduling of airport service resources, as well as serving as a fundamental element in determining the design, development, and process optimization of airport baggage handling systems. This paper examines baggage checked in by departing passengers at airports. The crrent state of the research on baggage flow demand is first reviewed and analyzed. Then, using examples of objective data, it is concluded that while there is a significant correlation between airport passenger flow and baggage flow, an increase in passenger flow does not necessarily result in a proportional increase in baggage flow. According to the existing research results on the influencing factors of baggage flow sorting and classification, the main influencing factors of baggage flow are divided into two categories: macro-influencing factors and micro-influencing factors. When studying the relationship between the economy and baggage flow, it is recommended to use a comprehensive analysis that includes multiple economic indicators, rather than relying solely on GDP. This paper provides a brief overview of prevalent transportation flow prediction methods, categorizing algorithmic models into three groups: based on mathematical and statistical models, intelligent algorithmic-based models, and combined algorithmic models utilizing artificial neural networks. The structures, strengths, and weaknesses of various transportation flow prediction algorithms are analyzed, as well as their application scenarios. The potential advantages of using artificial neural network-based combined prediction models for baggage flow forecasting are explained. It concludes with an outlook on research regarding the demand for baggage flow. This review may provide further research assistance to scholars in airport management and baggage handling system development.

Novel odor sensing intelligence and surveillance capabilities in controller-responder robots

The rise in global travel has led to an increased need for heightened security measures at airports. Despite the best efforts of airport security officers, in the past year, hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and thousands of agricultural invasive species have found their way into the country, posing a severe threat to public safety and the environment. Moreover, human threats pose a significant risk to civil aviation, reinforcing the need for advanced security technology. In response to these challenges, NOSI (Novel Odor Sensing Intelligence) and ROSI (Reconnaissance Operations Security Intelligence), intelligence surveillance systems consisting of semi-autonomous controller-responder robots, were developed as a proof of concept to supplement the efforts of security and K-9 (police dogs) operators at airports. NOSI is equipped with multi-channel gas sensors for odor detection, enabling it to identify illegal drugs and invasive species in the baggage handling process, while ROSI is equipped with computer vision to identify individuals already in the government’s database of persons of interest. These coordinated robots also provide travelers with important information pertaining to their journey and allow them to trigger emergency alerts. The robots were tested in a custom-designed test bed that replicated both the behind-the-scenes baggage handling and front-office customer service operations of an airport, thus simulating a realistic airport-like setting. Based on design criteria, NOSI and ROSI demonstrated success rates of 73.4 percent and 69.8 percent, respectively. Improvements in areas of robot stability, sensor accuracy, and feature expansion were documented for further development. In conclusion, the NOSI and ROSI framework can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of airport infrastructure monitoring and supplement the capabilities of human and K9 operators. Overall, this approach can potentially revolutionize operations in various infrastructures and represents the future of human-robot collaboration.

Applications of Blockchain in Tourism Industry

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry, even after seeing some drop back during the last few years due to COVID-19. The latest trend shows that it is gaining its position again to become a booming industry of the century, but as the industry gains pace, it faces several challenges that require modern solutions. With the coming up of new technologies, blockchain technology has gained rapid attention not only since it maintains a secure and decentralized record of transactions across the world but also due to its safe access to identifying data while enhancing accessibility for individuals in need in sectors like banking, travel, healthcare, and education. The current tourism industry fails the tourist by not providing a decentralized payment system for advance booking of hotels and vehicles, and the foreign tax required for such transactions increases the further cost for a tourist. With no real-time luggage tracking available, tourists are always on the lookout for their luggage. Blockchain technology improves the accuracy and reliability of baggage mishandling coding by providing a decentralized, tamper-proof record of all baggage handling events. If blockchain technology is incorporated into the tourism industry, many issues in the industry get solved, and it can grow more rapidly, helping economies all over the world by providing smart solutions to difficult problems and thus improving the experience of tourists by providing safety, a decentralized payment system, preventing fraud, and enhancing security by securing the data from unauthorized access. This research helps in further identifying the problem in the tourism industry and solving it by implementing blockchain technology, thus improving economies relying on the tourism industry.

Research Based on The Passenger’s Perspective to Airline Alliances, The Case of Turkish Airlines, A member of Star Alliance

There is a substantial degree of cooperation between two or more airlines in an alliance. Strategic alliances are formed for a variety of reasons. As a result of airline alliances (e.g., Star Alliance, Oneworld, Skyteam), airlines are able to increase profitability, reduce costs, and expand their flight networks. As part of its commitment to passengers, Turkish Airlines (hereinafter referred to as 'THY') offers flight check-in, baggage handling, a broad network, high-quality catering, in-flight comfort, and on-time departures and arrivals. An assessment of customer perceptions of THY's alliance was conducted to determine whether alliance strategies affected perceived service quality. Travelers who have flown with Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier of Turkey and a Star Alliance member, were surveyed to compare the impact of alliance strategies on service quality before and after joining the alliance. The survey was completed by 147 participants and analyzed using SPSS.

AWAS: Auto Weigh Air Sorter Untuk Memilah Barang Berdasarkan Berat Di Bandara

Auto Weigh Air Sorter (AWAS) is a technological innovation designed to sort items based on weight at airports. This system uses Arduino as a controller and a load cell as a weight sensor. Items are sorted using a servo motor based on the data obtained from the sensor. The aim of AWAS is to improve efficiency and accuracy in baggage handling, thereby speeding up the process of pricing and baggage handling. Thus, AWAS have the potential to make a significant contribution to the aviation industry by improving service quality to passengers and reducing baggage waiting time. This research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of the AWAS system, as well as its potential application in the airport context.

Evaluating reliability in airport baggage handling: a time-based assessment of the individual carrier system

Evaluating reliability in airport baggage handling: a time-based assessment of the individual carrier system

Optimising the management of arriving baggage at a Kuwait Airways passenger terminal using mathematical programming and simulation

Handling luggage systems is a critical component of a passenger terminal’s operations. The proposed study attempts to find the optimal solution for a manually operated terminal concerning the luggage offloading process from arrival flights carried by a limited number of ground handling agents. Handling agents start the offloading process from the aircraft to the cargo luggage containers carried by a cargo car that will take the containers’ trolleys to the cargo area to offload them into the reserved luggage belt carousel. This study aims to improve airport service quality by minimizing the baggage handling process time for arrival flights which leads to minimizing passenger waiting time in the baggage claim area. We proposed both a deterministic and stochastic approach. The integer programming method is provided to minimize the total number of flights assigned to the belt carousel under the realistic constraint of minimizing the luggage load on each belt carousel. Simulation tools were used so that the offloading process could be modeled to study the effects of various parameters such as the number of ground handling agents for different flights with different amounts of luggage.

Innovative baggage handling solutions to enhance passenger experience

It does not matter if the passenger experience is quick, convenient and totally effortless. It can all count for nothing because of a lost bag. Mishandled baggage on arrival can completely ruin the passenger experience, even if all the other elements of the journey were perfect. This paper offers a comprehensive study of the reasons behind bag mishandling (delayed, damaged, missing items or lost baggage); innovative technologies with focus on gentle and reliable baggage handling; impact of COVID-19, which further necessitates innovative technologies for efficient handling of bags. The paper further dives down into green, efficient and sustainable technologies, with focus on overall costs of the baggage handling system in its complete life cycle. It outlines the importance of innovation in baggage handling to minimise mishandled bags with the ultimate aim of putting a smile on the faces of passengers at baggage arrival. Baggage handling is one of the critical systems of airports and airlines and is affected by many factors such as transfer/arrival mishandling, ticketing error, security, customs, weather, space-weight restriction, tagging error, etc. This paper focuses more on baggage sortation, which is a core element of any baggage handling system, and its efficiency has significant impact in reducing mishandled bags and improving passenger experience. Moreover, the manpower crisis across the aviation industry, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, is having a profound impact on baggage success rates; innovative baggage handling technologies with advanced automation can significantly reduce pressure on manpower demand.

THE EFFECT OF BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM LEVEL 3 ON OPERATION OFFICER PERFORMANCE

Baggage handling has an important role in maintaining the comfort of passengers traveling by aircraft and security in processing baggage. Baggage Handling System (BHS) is a service in the form of a conveyor to transport passenger baggage after check-in and automatic sorting with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that reads radio frequencies contained in baggage to be sent to the aircraft according to its destination. This study aims to determine the effect of Baggage Handling System level 3 on the performance of operational officers at Kualanamu International Airport Medan with quantitative research methods that take data using questionnaire data and literature studies. The determination of the sample with the Slovin formula was 30 people and then the results of the respondents' answers were processed using SPSS with validity tests, reliability tests, normality tests, homogeneity tests and T tests. The calculation results obtained the results of the T test, which is a significant value of 0.000, meaning that the significance value is smaller than (0.05), so it can be concluded that there is a significant influence of the implementation of the Baggage Handling System level 3 (independent variable x) on the performance of operational officers (dependent variable y).

THE INFLUEN16CE OF SECURITY CHECK POINT (SCP) 1 AGAINST PASSENGER SATISFACTION

Padang Minangkabau International Airport is located in West Sumatra, more precisely in Pariaman Regency. This airport has several terminals namely Domestic Terminal, International Terminal, VIP Terminal, and Cargo Terminal. At the domestic terminal at Minangkabau Airport there are problems that arise, namely the security inspection process that has not used the baggage handling system with and passenger responses. This article examines the effect of the existing security check process on the satisfaction of using the flight services that passengers get. This research utilizes a correlational Technique using a quantitative tactic which collects information derived from monitoring data, distribution of questionnaires, and literature studies. Respondents from this questionnaire are passengers who use flight services and the results of these answers are calculated using the SPSS application. The results of these calculations show that the safety check process or variable X is correlated with passenger satisfaction or variable Y. It is apparent in the correlational test, demonstrating a result of 0.00 which is beneath 0.05, signifying a correlation between the variables. Things that need to be updated at Padang Minangkabau International Airport are the security inspection process in accordance with applicable standard operating procedures and paying more attention to passenger satisfaction in providing services.

Roles of accessibility and air-rail intermodality in shaping mobility patterns in mega-city regions: Behavioural insights from China

This paper aims to understand mobility patterns in mega-city regions from perspectives of accessibility and air-rail intermodality. Travellers' preferences for intercity mode and its access and egress modes were simultaneously collected in the context of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei mega-city region. The accessibility of transport hubs and destinations was measured to enable interpreting mobility behaviour in three dimensions, i.e., travel mode decisions, departure transport hub decisions, and transport service decisions. The calibrated behavioural model highlights a series of determinants regarding level-of-service attributes, travel characteristics, accessibility, socio-demographics, and their interaction. Based on the behavioural insights, twenty domestic cities were selected as destinations for analysing the dynamics of mobility patterns in terms of the competition within the multi-airport system and air-rail cooperation potential in the long-haul market. The elasticity of shifts in transport demand between the primary and secondary airports in the Beijing multi-airport system was assessed under various pricing strategies, highlighting the vital role of the most accessible airport in air traveller decision-making. Moreover, the results underline the effect of air-rail intermodal service upgrades, e.g., offering baggage handling systems and flexible tickets, on stimulating air-rail intermodal mobility in the mega-city region.

THE DECISION SUPPORT FACILITATING THE CHECK-IN SERVICE AT THE CHOPIN AIRPORT WITH THE USE OF COMPUTATIONAL EXPERIMENTS IN SIMIO

Airlines strive to minimize the waiting time for passenger service at the airport. Modification of the passenger service process at check-in stands can be carried out by modelling and then simulating various scenarios in order to obtain time benefits. The organization of service for departing passengers is the most complex system, which includes numerous maintenance activities aimed at preparing them and their luggage for transport by aircraft. Therefore, this article aims to present a few scenarios to improve the passenger service process. Based on the research, assumptions were made for each check-in scenario. Then, the models were implemented in the SIMIO simulation program. In the next step, the passenger distribution for individual desks was modified and a comparison was made with the level of passenger service defined by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The simulation results for individual scenarios are presented and the benefits to be achieved after introducing the proposed changes are indicated. The simulations carried out showed 2 important elements in the current and proposed layout of the ticket and luggage service stations and the introduction of changes to the baggage desks. Article presents the specification of the time spent in the system and waiting in the queue. The conducted analyses have shown that the proposed concept will allow for taking over 40% of passengers using the adjacent Fast Bag Drop (FBD) stands. Research has shown that adding more machines for use will fully cover the demand for FBD. The conclusions presented in the article are valuable when introducing modernization of the passenger and baggage handling process. For future researches, it would be beneficial to test other simulation tools and other scenarios to compare these results with those presented in this article.

Time Study for the Power Stow Rollertrack Conveyor for Airport Baggage Handling

A time study was conducted to evaluate the operation efficiency and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) for using the Power Stow Rollertrack Conveyor (PSRC) for baggage handling in the cargo holds of narrow-bodied aircrafts. The PSRC employs a retractable roller conveyor from a belt loader to provide powered transportation for loading and unloading baggage in the cargo holds. Thirteen baggage handlers at the Boston Logan International Airport participated in the data collection, which involved videotaping their work postures and methods during baggage handling operations in the cargo holds of the Boeing 737 and 757 aircrafts. Results showed that the PSRC provided improved efficiency in handling baggage, especially for unloading baggage by about 2 bags per minute. There was no significant difference in the total time spent on the risk factors for MSDs, such as lifting, pushing and pulling tasks per person for each bag between PSRC users and non-users.

Analisis Penanganan Operasional Baggage Handling System Dalam Meningkatkan Keamanan Bagasi Penumpang Di Bandar Udara Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin Sumbawa Nusa Tenggara Barat

Baggage handling has a very important role in supporting the safety and comfort of passengers while traveling by airplane, then processing the baggage according to existing procedures until the baggage arrives at its destination using the same aircraft as the passenger. To find out the handling of BHS in improving passenger baggage security, as well as solutions in handling BHS operational operations so as to improve passenger baggage security, baggage handling at Operations (BHS) at Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin Airport, Sumbawa. It is carried out through a system that has several gradual processes. The process begins when passengers check-in and hand over their baggage to the check-in officer, then the baggage is given a special coded label as baggage identity. Then the baggage will enter the system with the conveyor belt as the path, then the baggage will go through several stages or levels of security and several stages of automatic sorting. After all stages of the process, both at the security level check and at the baggage sorting stage, are deemed safe, the baggage will go to the make up area of each airline or to the destination on the baggage identity tag which the system has read during the sorting process. Each stage of operations (BHS) is able to guarantee the safety and movement of the baggage is always maintained and monitored through a system that is connected to one another. The existence of a connection from the system guarantees that the baggage is in a safe condition, both the contents and physical condition of the baggage and the baggage handling process becomes faster and more efficient in terms of time and effort.

5G mobile networks for airports: Supporting the digital transformation

Major international airports are highly complex ecosystems with multiple stakeholders performing a large number of processes, many of them in the crucial path of aircraft, passenger, baggage and cargo handling, in the airside. The role of the airport operators is to orchestrate, synchronise, optimise and facilitate the efficient and effective execution of these processes. In this context, this paper explores and demystifies how the new advancements in 5G mobile networks can help airports succeed and understand the benefits that such technology might bring to the industry and what steps and investments need to be made to realise the full potential. The paper captures lessons learned from a 5G testbed deployed at Athens International Airport as part of the European Commission Horizon 2020 project, 5G-TOURS. It includes a description of new services and applications for airports that advanced wireless connectivity can provide. A quantitative analysis is provided of the potential benefits that an airport like Athens can expect to see from these new services. These are presented in terms of direct operational benefits and wider socio-economic benefits. Furthermore, the various strategies that an airport operator might adopt for the management, delivery and installation of wireless infrastructure in their specific setting are described and indicative costings in the example setting of Athens are provided. Overall, using Athens International Airport as a case study, the aim is to illustrate the pros and cons of various wireless strategies and considerations that airport operators need to make when selecting the best way forward for their business.

Factors Influencing Omani Traveler’s Preference While Choosing Low-Cost Airlines and Full-Service Airlines

Purpose: The objective of this research was to determine the factors that influence Omani travellers in making airline selection decisions as well as to examine their perception and the level of satisfaction with the quality of services provided by Oman Air and Salam Air. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methods research approach was employed in this study to gather primary data through a survey questionnaire and analyse it accordingly. A simple Random sampling method was used with a sample size of 80, 40 from Oman Air and 40 from Salam Air. Inferential Statistics and descriptive statistics have been attained using the collected data from the questionnaire which provided closed-ended questions including rankings using a 5-point Likert Scale. Findings: The findings of the study revealed that Omani traveller’s selecting Oman Air as a preferred airline are influenced by airline image, customer service, and safety factors while Omani traveler’s selecting Salam Air as their preferred airline are most influenced by factors including price, baggage handling, and booking options. Travelers’ perception of the service quality indicated that airline staff responsiveness scored the highest while satisfaction was declared for the different service experiences for both airlines. Research limitations/implications: This research was limited to Omani traveller’s preference for selecting Oman Air and/or Salam Air as both are local airlines which is convenient for the researcher’s access. The most challenging obstacle faced when conducting this research was the pandemic, Covid-19. Social Implications: The study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by focusing on Omani traveller’s and their decision-making processes, contributing to the knowledge base and aiding airlines in tailoring their services to meet Omani travellers’ expectations. Originality / Value: This research examines unique factors such as airline image, price, service quality, and safety the research provides fresh insights into this specific market, considering Oman’s distinctive cultural and economic context.