Sharjah Aviation Services will introduce new automated baggage management and communication systems at Sharjah International Airport. The new systems, provided by global air transport technology specialist SITA, are aimed at further improving the reliability, security and speed of baggage delivery at the airport. More than 4.5 million departing bags are handled at the UAE's third busiest airport every year and SITA's new technology will provide the airport's ground handler with state of the art baggage reconciliation services and full visibility and tracking capabilities within the airport. It will also simplify the exchange of baggage-related information between the airport and airlines. Mohammad Al Zaghlawan, General Manager at Sharjah Aviation Services, said: "Having significant transfer traffic, automation of our baggage processes and reconciliation became fundamental to our business as it can easily make or break a passenger's travel experience. For this reason, we chose SITA's baggage technology; it is proven and tested worldwide. These new systems will give us an assurance that every passenger and their bags are on the same flight as well as the ability to identify issues before they result in a delay. This technology investment is critical to delivering the experience our customers have come to expect at Sharjah International Airport." Hani El-Assaad, SITA President, Middle East, India, and Africa said: "Working together with Sharjah Aviation Services, we are delivering a more efficient baggage service at one of the Middle East's fastest-growing airports. SITA's baggage management systems are used by 200 airports and 500 airlines around the world and have been proven to reduce the level of mishandled baggage and the costs associated with it. Now airlines and passengers at Sharjah International Airport can look forward to an improved baggage experience." Over the past seven years the introduction of automated baggage systems has cut the global baggage mishandling rate by 61.3% from its peak of 18.88 bags per thousand passengers in 2007 to just 7.3 bags in 2014, saving the industry $18 billion. SITA's BagManager and BagMessage will provide timely updates and exchange of information on the loading, reconciling, tracking and tracing of baggage, resulting in improved operational efficiency and oversight from the moment a passenger drops their baggage to when they collect it at their destination. The implementation of the new systems is under way and will go live in the first quarter of 2016.
