Wait gets longer for new baggage scanner at airport
Tamaghna Banerjee | TNN | Updated: Mar 13, 2019, 07:02 IST
Passengers have to first stand in a queue, put baggage through standalone X-ray machines and proceed towards check-in counter. KOLKATA: The commissioning of the in-line baggage scan (ILBS) facility, which would have done away with the need for flyers to queue up to scan their registered luggage at standalone X-ray machines before depositing them at the check-in counter, has been pushed back by at least five months — from April to September.
“We had initially thought work on the ILBS project would be completed by April. However, we have since encountered multiple issues, including delay in arrival of equipment, logistical hurdles, technical glitches and passenger rush, that have upset the schedule of shutting down conveyor belts required to install the system. Consequently, the commissioning date has been pushed back by five months,” an airport official said.
Out of the eight portals where airline counters are situated in the departure hall, work has been completed on three. At present, work is under way on the fourth portal. “Until the XBIS system is installed in all eight portals, the clearance from regulatory authority Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will not be available. Unless the clearance arrives, we cannot commission the system,” the official explained.
The delay means continued nightmare for airline ground staff at Kolkata airport. In the domestic wing, baggage handling is the biggest problem. Airline officials allege the system installed at the airport is outdated and prone to technical snags. Around five glitches occur every week, which require the belts to be shut down and rebooted.
Officials said the problem in the current baggage scanning system is due to both hardware and software issues. Indiscipline among baggage handlers complicates the matter further. “The system trips at the slightest overload. It needs to be restarted, which causes delays,” said the official.
At present, passengers entering the terminal have to first queue up at the baggage X-ray machines operated by respective airlines. Once the luggage is checked and labelled can one proceed towards the check-in counter for boarding. During morning and evening peak hours, passengers have to wait for up to 15 minutes in the queue to get their baggage X-rayed. Thereafter, he has to queue up three more times: at the check-in counter, at the security check and prior to boarding.
The introduction of ILBS will eliminate the first queue. The bags will get scanned automatically as it moves down the conveyor belt, after which it will be carted to the aircraft. Fitted with cameras and sensors, the ILBS machine captures images of the luggage. These images are then screened in a control room.
“The system will reduce reporting time for a passenger and the hassle of lifting heavy bags on to the X-ray conveyor belt and off it. Once the bulky X-ray machines go, the space can also be better utilized,” said an airline official.
The scanners will have a capacity to scan around 1,000 bags per hour.
“We had initially thought work on the ILBS project would be completed by April. However, we have since encountered multiple issues, including delay in arrival of equipment, logistical hurdles, technical glitches and passenger rush, that have upset the schedule of shutting down conveyor belts required to install the system. Consequently, the commissioning date has been pushed back by five months,” an airport official said.
Out of the eight portals where airline counters are situated in the departure hall, work has been completed on three. At present, work is under way on the fourth portal. “Until the XBIS system is installed in all eight portals, the clearance from regulatory authority Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will not be available. Unless the clearance arrives, we cannot commission the system,” the official explained.
The delay means continued nightmare for airline ground staff at Kolkata airport. In the domestic wing, baggage handling is the biggest problem. Airline officials allege the system installed at the airport is outdated and prone to technical snags. Around five glitches occur every week, which require the belts to be shut down and rebooted.
Officials said the problem in the current baggage scanning system is due to both hardware and software issues. Indiscipline among baggage handlers complicates the matter further. “The system trips at the slightest overload. It needs to be restarted, which causes delays,” said the official.
At present, passengers entering the terminal have to first queue up at the baggage X-ray machines operated by respective airlines. Once the luggage is checked and labelled can one proceed towards the check-in counter for boarding. During morning and evening peak hours, passengers have to wait for up to 15 minutes in the queue to get their baggage X-rayed. Thereafter, he has to queue up three more times: at the check-in counter, at the security check and prior to boarding.
The introduction of ILBS will eliminate the first queue. The bags will get scanned automatically as it moves down the conveyor belt, after which it will be carted to the aircraft. Fitted with cameras and sensors, the ILBS machine captures images of the luggage. These images are then screened in a control room.
“The system will reduce reporting time for a passenger and the hassle of lifting heavy bags on to the X-ray conveyor belt and off it. Once the bulky X-ray machines go, the space can also be better utilized,” said an airline official.
The scanners will have a capacity to scan around 1,000 bags per hour.
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