Baggage system
Underneath the terminal lies level -1, home of the baggage system. Belts carry bags from check-in to the make-up station, tractors take them to the aircraft, and arriving bags travel back to reclaim.
The pieces
The research Baggage systems opens level -1 below your terminal. There you build a belt network and its stations:
| Part | Role |
|---|---|
| Belt | Moves bags at 30 m per minute, up to 25 bags a minute |
| Make-up station | At the facade: bags wait here per flight for the tractor |
| Unloading station | At the facade: arriving bags enter the system here |
| Baggage reclaim | On the ground floor above: arriving passengers collect their bags |
| Sorter | Later research: sorts bag streams by flight, 60 bags a minute |
Belts start at an unloading station or a sorter output and end at a sorter, a make-up station, the reclaim above, or another belt. The stations need a road connection so baggage tractors can reach them.
A bag's journey
Departure: after check-in the bag travels by belt to the make-up station. The baggage tractor waits until all passengers have checked in and their bags have arrived – but no longer than the cut-off before departure – then drives out to the aircraft. Bags still in the system when the aircraft pushes back are left behind: they are forwarded later at your expense, and you get a message.
Arrival: the tractor brings bags from the aircraft to the unloading station; the belts carry them to reclaim. Passengers wait until their group's bags are there – waiting too long costs satisfaction. Without a station, bags are carried in by hand, which is slow.
Costs
Belts cost 1,200 € per metre plus a little maintenance per metre each day. A sorter costs 200,000 € and a daily running fee.