Melbourne Airport is expanding its International Terminal footprint and installing a new state-of-the-art baggage processing system, replacing the current system of conveyer belts with a new individual carrier system. Early works on the $500 million project have commenced.
“Once the new system is operational, we will be able to track every bag at every moment of the journey from check-in to the aircraft,” said Lorie Argus, CEO, Melbourne Airport. “Bags will be stored in a central holding area before being automatically sent to their flight, so we will be able to accept them for check-in much earlier than we currently do, providing passengers and airlines with more flexibility. Our team will work hard to minimise disruption, but this will be a challenging project because our baggage system is effectively the terminal arteries, so it is like doing open heart surgery while running a marathon.”
The project is due for completion in 2027 and is part of a larger programme of works to ensure capacity keeps pace with demand.
