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UFIS Airport Innovation (UFIS AI) has played an important role in the successful opening of the new Terminal 1 at Barcelona Airport. By delivering its state-of-the art, high-level control baggage handling solution, UFIS AI was an integral part of the smooth start of operations in T1. The new terminal was officially inaugurated on 16 June, and operations began on 17 June with the first Spanair flight taking off for Madrid at 6:15 am. "This was one of the largest projects undertaken in Europe," said Frank Mikkelsen, managing director of UFIS AI, "and we are proud to be part of the smooth start of operations."
UFIS AI, working in conjunction with Vanderlande Industries and Dragados, delivered its high-level control baggage handling solution as part of the complete baggage handling system. The baggage handling system deployed by UFIS AI incorporates the Baggage Routing and Allocation System (BRAINS), the complete network and the control room design.
The first flight from T1 took off with 130 passengers bound for Madrid took off with 15 minute delay. The first flights from Palma de Mallorca, Bilboa, Milan and Brussels landed without problems. The first intercontinental flight that arrived at T1 was an US Airways flight from Philadelphia with the first intercontinental flight taking off was Singapore Airlines’ flight headed to Singapore.
An estimated number of 30,000 passengers passed through the terminal on the first day claiming around 18,000 bags. It is expected that the passenger number will increase to more than 100 000 per day. T1 is designed to cater up to 25 million passengers thus increasing the capacity of the airport from an annual 30 million passengers to 55 million.
“We are proud to support Barcelona Airport in consolidating its position as an exemplary airport in the Mediterranean and the south of Europe,” said Anders Sagadin, President and CEO of the UFIS group. “The terminal is now equipped with a very smart and innovative baggage handling solution, able to handle 10 000 bags an hour with an extended capacity of 16 000 bags an hour. This is a big success for UFIS AI and for the UFIS Group as a whole.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
