Istanbul New Airport to track all bags from opening day

Chooses SITA for IT systems to track bags

İGA, contractor and designated operator of Istanbul New Airport, has appointed SITA to implement its baggage tracking solution.

The airport is due to open by February 2018 and at that time will have capacity of 90 million passengers a year.

Three more phases will see the passenger capacity reach 150 million passengers annually – extendable to 200 million.

At its peak it will be able to handle more than 75,0000 bags an hour.

Using SITA’s IT infrastructure will make it possible for airlines to track bags at key points in the journey, including check-in, transfer and arrival.

Airlines will also be able to receive updates on where their baggage is at each step of the journey, allowing them to comply with IATA Resolution 753.

Ersin İnankul, CIO of İGA Airports Construction:

“In building a new facility, we have the opportunity to implement technology or capacity to accommodate new technologies. One of the technologies that will become a must-have is baggage tracking to meet the June 2018 deadline of Resolution 753. As a service to our airlines, we have partnered with SITA to implement the technology to meet the requirements from day one of operation.”

Jihad Boueri, SITA Vice President Airports for Middle East, India and Africa:

“Baggage is one key area where technology is improving the passenger experience. Increasingly airlines and airports are helping to relieve the anxiety of waiting for bags to arrive by providing real-time information on the status of their bags to passengers. At the same time, by understanding where a bag is at any point in its journey, airlines will be able to act proactively to ensure that a bag is correctly allocated to a flight, ensuring it arrives with the passenger at their destination.”

SITA’s Baggage Report 2017 showed that baggage management by airlines globally improved again in 2016 as the industry focuses on technology investments. According to the report, the rate of mishandled bags was 5.73 bags per thousand passengers in 2016, down 12.25% from the previous year and the lowest ever recorded.

Istanbul airports

Istanbul New Airport location
Istanbul New airport is on the European side

Istanbul’s third airport is expected to open in early 2018. Like the current Ataturk Airport, it is on the European side of the city.

When complete, the new airport will take over most of the passenger traffic from Ataturk International Airport, hosting 250 airlines flying to more than 350 destinations, making it one of the world’s largest transport hubs.

When the first phase is completed in 2018, it will have 2 runways and the world’s largest terminal under one roof. It will have a gross floor area of nearly 11 million square feet and the ability to serve 90 million passengers a year.

With the completion of all phases (before 2030), the airport is expected to be the busiest one in the world, with flights to over 350 destinations and, eventually, an annual capacity of 200 million passengers. It will then have 6 runways and 4 terminal buildings.

Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport is the busiest airport in Turkey, with 41.6 million passengers in the first 8 months of 2017, according to the state airports authority. It was followed by Sabiha Gokcen Airport with 20.5 million passengers, Istanbul’s main air hub on the Asian side.

N.B. Image credit: igairport.com

Internet links

Istanbul New Airport

SITA Baggage Management