2009
Baggage handling at Heathrow
Baggage handling The airline or its handling agent is
responsible for inputting bags into the
at Heathrow is a baggage system at check-in; screening
complex operation bags; collecting security screened bags and
with bags processed loading them onto aircraft; and retrieving
by several parties. bags from arriving aircraft and loading
them onto baggage reclaim belts in the
terminals.
BAA is responsible for providing and
operating the sophisticated mechanical
baggage system, which transports, security
screens and sorts the bags. Heathrow
Airport has an automated baggage-
handling system which is comprised of over
30 miles of conveyors, two miles of tunnels
and features the latest technology to safely
sort and screen over 150,000 departing
bags a day.
It is a resilient system, with multiple in-
built contingencies and provides the best
possible service to passengers.
The Heathrow baggage system has three
main roles:
• To deliver bags from check-in to the
departure gates.
• To deliver bags from one gate to
another during transfers.
• To deliver bags to arriving passengers
in the baggage reclaim area.
Baggage system transformation
BAA has ambitious plans to transform
Heathrow and over the next few years the
airport will be completely refurbished or
rebuilt. This includes a major investment
in Heathrow’s baggage system and the
construction of a new automated baggage
link to connect Terminals 1, 3 and 5.
Once complete, Heathrow’s baggage
system will connect all of Heathrow’s
terminals, creating the world’s largest
fully integrated baggage system. By 2014
the airport will operate a single baggage
system, capable of handling 110 million
bags a year.
Work is already underway to replace
Terminal 3’s baggage system and refurbish
the systems in Terminal 1 and 4 with the
latest technology. New systems will also be
installed at Terminal 5C, which is currently
under construction and at Terminal 2A,
which will replace Terminals 1 and 2, and
the Queens building.
The construction of a baggage tunnel,
running under the airfield is at the heart
of BAA’s baggage improvement plans. The
1.8km-long baggage tunnel will connect
Terminal 5 and Terminal 3. This will then
be continued so that it eventually links
Terminal 2A.
The existing baggage tunnel between
Terminal 4 and Terminal 1, built in 1997
will be completely overhauled.

Baggage handling at Heathrow
Baggage quick facts
• 30 miles of conveyors.
• 4.3 million bags a month processed.
• Approx 52.8 million bags a year
processed.
• 2,500 metres of tunnels (increasing
to 4,500 metres when the T5-T3-T1
Connectivity Project is delivered).
• 44 baggage reclaim belts.
• 16 baggage handling agents.
The journey of a bag
at Heathrow
Departures
• At check-in, the airline agent prints a
luggage tag and attaches it to the bag.
This contains a unique barcode and a
ten digit number which has details of
the bag’s final destination and route.
• The bag enters the BAA baggage
system and is read by a barcode scanner
and automatically routed through the
airport’s network of conveyors and
junctions to a collection chute for
processing by airline baggage
handling staff.
• The bag passes through x-ray
machines and other security devices
to ensure it is screened to the highest
possible standard.
• At the collection chute, a baggage
handler, provided by the airlines, scans
the bag’s barcode tag to create a record
of the bag’s location and reconciles each
item of luggage with the passenger
manifest for security purposes.
Heathrow Communications t: 020 8745 7224
Heathrow Point West f: 020 8745 6061
234 Bath Road e: heathrowmediacentre@baa.com
Harlington, Middlesex UB3 5AP w: www.heathrowairport.com
2009
• The handler then loads bags onto carts, baggage hall. They are transferred to
which are driven out to the aircraft to containers by airline baggage staff and
load them into the hold. driven to the aircraft for manual loading.
• A fast-track underground system links
Transferring bags
the main terminal with its satellites
• Transfer bags are unloaded from the conveying time-critical bags to
aircraft by airline baggage handlers individual heads of stands, most of
and placed in the BAA baggage which have a delivery point close to
system, where they are scanned, the rear of the aircraft.
screened and sorted for reloading
• Terminal 5 has an automated system,
onto the ongoing flight.
located in the basement, which can store
• Bags transferring between Terminals up to 4,000 early bags. The robotically
1 and 4 are automatically transported controlled system holds bags that
through a 1,500 metre underground are checked in three hours prior to a
baggage tunnel. departure and are held until called out
for flight make-up, at which point they
• Bags travelling between the other
are transferred to the main baggage hall.
terminals are transported through the
airside network of roads and tunnels. • Incoming baggage terminating at
Heathrow is taken to the baggage hall
by airline handlers and loaded onto
Arriving bags
reclaim belts.
• Bags arriving at Heathrow are unloaded
from the aircraft by the airline baggage
handling agent and transported to the
terminal building where they are placed
on the baggage reclaim belts.
• Each baggage hall has numerous
baggage belts, which act as contingency
when belts are being serviced.
Terminal 5 baggage system
• The Terminal 5 baggage system is
the biggest, single-terminal baggage
handling system in Europe. It is made up
of two complementary systems, a main
baggage handling system overlaid with
a fast track system.
• Airline staff enter bags into the system
at check-in desks, which feed a pair of
tilt-tray sorters that deliver bags to the
© BAA Limited for the images provided