Baggage collection security steps up

PALMA airport has begun restructuring 17 of its 18 baggage collection conveyor belts, the Spanish Airports Authority (AENA) said yesterday.
The project, said AENA, is part of a security move to ensure that baggage which has just arrived on landing aircraft doesn't get mistakenly diverted towards the “loading” side for departing flights.

After the reform is complete, a source at AENA added, there will be no connection between the “loading” and “unloading” directions of the luggage belts. In a first phase which is due to continue until 2nd July, restructuring work will be undertaken on the large luggage collection belts which are numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14. Technicians will alter their operating process so that pile-ups and snags will be brought down to a minimum and the delivery process of unloaded baggage to waiting disembarked passengers speeded up. Cameras and other detectors are also to be installed in the baggage handling area which will be connected to the security control hub. The purpose is to ensure that no unauthorised personnel enter the operations area and tamper with baggage.