Stansted airport has completed a £70 million upgrade to its hold baggage system.
The four-year project is the largest upgrade to the airport’s baggage network since the terminal opened in 1991.
The new Beumer autover system sees old conveyor belts and chutes replaced with 2.4km of track and 180 automated carts, which are faster and more efficient.
Travelling at speeds of up to five metres per second, bags will take about six minutes to move from check-in to being ready to load onto an aircraft.
Steve Radford, hold baggage system programme lead, said: “The Beumer autover system uses the latest digital technology, which will future-proof London Stansted’s baggage operation for years to come, improving performance for both our passengers and airlines.”
The work was initially carried out in stages to minimise disruption. However, the drop in traffic amid the pandemic meant the airport could accelerate the project and complete it ahead of schedule.
Klaus Schäfer, chief executive of Beumer Group UK, said: “This now means the airport has a future-proof system and a great deal of built-in flexibility for years to come.”