62 BAGGAGE September 2026 AirportImprovement.com PGD CT technology and automated algorithms identify those that require additional attention. “TSA screeners only receive images on alarm,” Laroche explains. “In fact, nearly 95% of checked bags move through the system without additional screening.” The system flags suspicious bags and routes them to the On- Screen Resolution Room, where TSA officers clear most bags by reviewing high-resolution CT images. “Less than 1% of the bags that we process need to be physically touched,” Laroche reports. The system diverts bags that require hands-on inspection to the Checked Baggage Resolution Area, where new ergonomic features were added to increase employee comfort and reduce injuries. Screening personnel now stand on anti-fatigue flooring, retrieve bags from a waist-high conveyor and slide them onto an adjacent inspection table rather than lifting them. “They scan the bag tag to access the bag’s CT image, then they manipulate the bag and look through it,” Laroche explains. “Finally, they slide it using a sliding table top onto a conveyor that sends it out to the carousel. They no longer have to lift the bag at all.” AECOM also incorporated TSA best practices into the design by creating both first- and second-chance diversion points, giving personnel multiple opportunities to clear suspicious bags remotely before a manual inspection is needed. “Most bags which make it past the first-chance diversion point get diverted with the second chance,” Hass notes. “That means there are significantly fewer bags that need manual TSA screening.” The system includes automated bag tag readers and sophisticated conveyor controls to log the journey of every checked bag from the ticket counter through screening to the claim carousel. “The system takes a lot of the human factor out of the process,” Laroche says. “It’s much more secure. It ensures every bag is screened—and that bags that shouldn’t end up on airplanes...don’t.” Design Constraints “Working within the airport’s tight footprint meant every inch mattered,” Hass emphasizes. “The design was informed by the space we had.” Working within those constraints, AECOM designed a three- dimensional conveyor network that stacks and crosses lines supplied by Diversified Conveyors International, with belts weaving around existing mechanical rooms and other building infrastructure. The design also includes a dedicated curbside baggage line, which allows luggage checked outside the terminal to enter the system directly. Connecting the new baggage facility to the existing terminal presented another challenge because the terminal was constructed with tilt-up concrete wall panels that support their own weight. “We had to build a new wall next to the existing tilt wall,” explains Miguel Sanchez, RA, AIA, project architect for AECOM. “Once we did that, we had to make openings in the tilt wall. Some of the openings were as wide as 16 feet to provide conveyor passageways and room for TSA personnel.” Designed for the Future BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM DESIGN / CONSULTATION / ANALYSIS/ ASSESSMENT / OAR SERVICES www.jsmandassociates.com ■ solutions@jsmairports.com BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM / PASSENGER BOARDING BRIDGE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Airport Services Maintained for Performance MIGUEL SANCHEZ The new system started operating this past February.
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