Václav Havel Airport Prague is located 12km west of the capital city of the Czech Republic. Formerly known as Prague Ruzyně International Airport, it welcomed its first aeroplanes in 1937. Since then it has undergone many reconstructions and extensions, most notably in 1956, 1968, 1997 and 2006.
The airport now consists of four terminals and two runways. Terminal 1 was opened in 1968 and rebuilt in 1997, and is currently assigned to non-Schengen flights. Terminal 2, which opened in 2006, is used for Schengen flights. Terminal 3 is used for private and charter flights, and Terminal 4 is for VIP flights and state visits.
In 2019, before COVID struck, the airport handled around 18 million passengers a year, with the revamped BHS providing the capacity to deal efficiently with 20 million annually. The airport was not yet back to pre-pandemic numbers in 2023, but at almost 14 million passengers it was an increase of 28.8% compared to 2022.
Vanderlande’s relationship with the airport began in 1997, when the company installed three check-in desks, three carousels and hold baggage screening technology in Terminal 1. When Terminal 2 opened in 2006, Vanderlande also handled the design, implementation and project management of its BHS.
Over the next decade, the two parties collaborated on several modification projects to upgrade equipment and systems. Then, in December 2018, Vanderlande signed a major contract with the airport for what was a much-needed expansion and refurbishment of baggage handling systems in Terminal 1 and 2.
“We lacked capacity and needed new systems to cope with increasing passenger numbers,” explains Jiří Kraus, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors at Prague Airport. “We also wanted to improve the experience we provide for passengers and airlines by introducing new services, such as the self-bag drop. We were happy to work with Vanderlande because we know the company so well, and its ability to deliver projects on time and to a high level of quality.”
A new BAXORTER was installed in Terminal 1, while Terminal 2 saw an upgrade that included two HELIXORTER tilt-tray sorters. In addition, the latest security screening machines were integrated into both terminals. Because of the scale of the project, work was carefully scheduled in phases to minimise disruption at the airport. However, those plans were radically altered when the pandemic hit.
“It was certainly going to be a challenging task to carry out the work while the airport was open, but we had made a beautiful plan with Vanderlande,” says Jiří. “In the end, the pandemic actually helped us during installation, because the terminals were empty. We appreciated the way Vanderlande made changes to the schedule, and I would like to add that the company provided the perfect level of project management.”
Despite the challenges and uncertainties, the project was completed to schedule. “It was an excellent cooperation between Vanderlande and Prague Airport,” adds Václav Ceeh, the airport’s BHS Manager. “Vanderlande sent all the equipment in time, and the entire project was successful.”
As well as boosting overall capacity and bringing screening into line with the latest regulations, the venture has revolutionised certain parts of the airport’s baggage operation.
“Before the installation of new equipment, sorting bags in Terminal 1 was a completely manual operation – now it’s fully automated,” adds Václav. “Another big benefit is our ability to handle around 2,000 bags per hour in Terminal 2, and we have systems that help us to minimise the number of missed bags”
In addition, the two baggage systems are now connected automatically via a tunnel that runs a conveyor system between both terminals, and both BHS are equipped with bag storage facilities.
The service agreement, through which Vanderlande provides active support for planned and unplanned maintenance, is also much valued by the airport.
“Vanderlande is a good partner, and is a big company that has much experience with systems across the world,” adds Václav. “We definitely believe that the service contract is of benefit to us in terms of the reliability of our baggage handling systems.”
Early 2024 saw the installation of high-level controls for the BHS, including Vanderlande’s intelligent and intuitive VIBES software. This ensures that every piece of luggage reaches its flight on time, and also keeps ground handlers and operators fully informed about the progress of each flight’s baggage.
“VIBES allows us to better control the process of sorting,” explains Václav. “Availability is important and we discussed this with Vanderlande’s design team. There is 100% redundancy, because if part of the BHS is down then we have the flexibility to reroute baggage to another area.”
According to the Prague Airport team, the BHS are relatively quiet, which makes for a more comfortable working environment for baggage handlers and other onsite teams. The new technologies and partnership with Vanderlande are also helping Prague Airport to meet its wider sustainability commitments.
“We are grateful that Vanderlande and their sophisticated solutions support us in all the plans to improve our environmental footprint,” says Jiří. “Prague Airport is a member of ACI Europe’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. We are currently at Level 3+, and it’s our ambition, in cooperation with all our partners – including Vanderlande – to achieve Level 4 and become CO2 neutral in the near future.”
Looking forward, Prague Airport is drawing up plans to extend capacity even further by building a new wing for Terminal 2. For now, the airport is delighted that the long-term partnership with Vanderlande has delivered an exceptional baggage operation.
“I’d like to say we were surprised by the levels of service we received from Vanderlande, but I can’t, because we know the level of quality from earlier projects,” says Jiří. “I would like to add that we set the bar very high – and Vanderlande cleared it! Well done!”
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