The new baggage sorting system has replaced the old one, whose parts had reached the end of their lifecycle. «Construction projects at such critical infrastructure of our airport must be realised while operations are ongoing and are accordingly challenging. Exceptional quality and reliability are our standards for every construction project, just as they are for passenger processes,» says Lydia Naef, Chief Real Estate Officer of Zurich Airport.

Cutting-Edge Technology

After an intensive construction and transition phase to the new baggage sorting system, the most critical parts of the old system have now been disconnected from the system. Stefan Tschudin, Chief Operation Officer of Flughafen Zürich AG, emphasizes the importance of the new system.: «With the new technology, Zurich Airport ensures that baggage allocation will continue to function reliably in the future. This is essential for smooth operations of the entire flight process. The new system also meets the new EU regulations for the security screening of checked baggage.»

Challenging Transition Phase

The transition from the old to the new system has been ongoing since November 2023 and required extensive and continuous monitoring, as well as a high demand for personnel and planning. On average, 30,000 pieces of baggage pass through the system each day, with peak days seeing up to 50,000. «Since an airport operates 365 days a year, it must be ensured that this baggage handling system functions at all times. We had to plan extensive contingency solutions to minimise disruptions to system parts and avoid excessive impacts on flight operations,» says Tom Calame, Head of Operational Facilities at Flughafen Zürich AG.

Final Construction Phase Until 2027

Although the main work has been completed, the project is not yet fully finished. In autumn 2024, the replacement of the old infrastructure in the connection tunnel towards Dock E and the baggage sorting system in Dock E will follow. The entire replacement of the old system is expected to be completed by 2027. Zurich Airport will then have a completely renewed baggage sorting system with approximately 25 kilometres of conveyor tracks, 5,500 motors, and 5,600 sensors. Overall, Flughafen Zürich AG expects investments of around CHF 450 million. The system will remain in operation for the next 20 to 25 years.