Latest baggage rules ‘will improve efficiency at BIA’

With effect from October 1, 2019, Bahrain International Airport (BIA) will introduce new baggage acceptance rules to eliminate jams in the Baggage Handling System that cause shutdowns, delays, and inconvenience to passengers and airlines, BIA’s operator and managing body, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) announced yesterday.  Items that will no longer be permitted include round and irregular shaped bags, irregular shaped bags tied with loose rope or string, bags with loose straps, and blanket wrapped bags, the company said.

Regular out-of-gauge and odd-shaped items such as baby strollers, bicycles, wheelchairs, and golf bags will be still allowed, it added. BAC Chief Airport Operations Officer Michael Hohenberger said: “BAC is committed to running a friendly and efficient airport, and consistently works to ensure the highest levels of safety and security. The new rules will support these objectives by maintaining the integrity of the Baggage Handling System, making it safer and more efficient for airport staff to execute their daily duties and, in, turn helping deliver a better service to customers.”

Irregular shaped items tied with rope or linen can easily snag on the conveyer belts, causing system downtime, delaying the processing of baggage at the airport, and inconveniencing other passengers. To avoid delays at the check-in area, the BAC advised all passengers to use baggage with at least one flat surface, regular travel bags, or properly packed boxes with a flat surface.

The new rules also will play a major role in enhancing the efficiency of the state-of-theart Baggage Handling System at BIA’s new Passenger Terminal Building. The new system features an 8.6-kilometre conveyer belt and will be capable of processing up to 4,800 bags an hour. Baggage will be carried from the passenger terminals to the aircraft via advanced automated systems that provide a high level of protection against the loss or damage of passengers’ belongings.