A new baggage system that would allow passengers to check-in luggage at any counter in the airport is in the early design stages of development at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington.
The new system, which is projected to be complete between 2023 and 2024, would replace the 10 miles of conveyor belts currently in place.The first phase of construction will be complete in 2018.
"For the everyday passenger, with the new optimized system, you’re going to be able to check your bag anywhere in the ticket counter and it will distribute that to any airline in our system,” Seattle–Tacoma International Airport employee Ed Weitz told KING 5 Morning News. “What it really saves is mishandling within the system. When you make the stuff automated, there’s less chance of a bag getting missed, getting delivered to another airline.”
The baggage system replacement will cost $317 million, almost $100 million of which will be contributed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
To cover the cost of the project, the average ticket price at the airport is estimated to rise by five cents. By 2023, the average cost would rise about 88 cents.
Currently the baggage system is in separate parts. The new plan will combine them into one in order to centralize security screening, move luggage between connecting flights faster and allow more flexibilities for airline gate changes.
“As the airport has grown we’re looking for ways within the building footprint to increase capacity so that we can keep up with the millions of annual passengers at the airport,” Weitz said. “It’s going to increase the security within the bag system, the equipment needs to be replaced, it’s basically reaching its end of life so we need to get that equipment changed out to the newer technology that has better through put and we can do better screening on it.”
