Aruba Airport signs $33 million contract with BEUMER Group

Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA), has signed a contract agreement with BEUMER Group for the design and installation of a new high speed baggage transportation and sortation system as part of the airport’s Gateway 2030 expansion and modernization program. The contract award was part of a tender process whereby the airport assessed an overall baggage handling solution which not only considered the capital costs for the installation, but carefully evaluated the on-going maintenance and operational costs once the system is commissioned.

The contract with BEUMER group includes the installation of a dual-loop CRISBAG® – High Speed Baggage Transportation and Sortation System, with integration to a full TSA compliant EDS screening system, and a Baggage Image Weight Identification System (BIWIS) to streamline the airport’s U.S. preclearance process. The agreement also includes a period of on-going maintenance and spare parts after the system is put into service.

The new baggage handling system (BHS) will eliminate the requirement to reclaim checked luggage and undergo the second passenger screening process which is currently in place for the U.S. CBP Pre-Clearance operation. Additionally, the new system will also allow for U.S and non-U.S. bound flights to operate from a common-use check-in facility.

The final design of BEUMER’s tote-based CRISBAG® system will be carried out in collaboration with airport’s main terminal designer, NACO;  in an effort to ensure that the BHS system, and the baggage handling building are properly matched, and that the new system is designed and built with the optimal efficiency. The installation will begin in Q3 of 2020, and completion is expected in the Q2 of 2021, in coordination with the opening of the Gateway 2030 project construction phase 1.

“We are very pleased to have crossed this important milestone” said Aruba Airport Authority N.V. CEO James Fazio. “The new baggage handling system is the centerpiece of the airport’s redevelopment project, and will allow for the modernization and streamlining of many of our passenger processes, most notably, a significantly more efficient U.S. Customs pre-clearance operation, improved baggage screening, and a more efficient use of the airport check-in hall capacity. We are very pleased to be partnering with BEUMER Group on this important system, and look forward to working on transforming our airport in the upcoming years”

The BEUMER Group pursued the Aruba Airport project as a "first in industry" opportunity to showcase the integrated ICS system (CRISBAG) and bag storage system (CRISSTORE) to handle the peak flight demands of the airport. Barry Lagerstedt, Senior Vice President stated "We are very happy to be selected as a partner for this important project. The application of US Customs Pre-Clearance as well as the interface with TSA compliant protocol baggage screening is a perfect application to our integrated CRISBAG baggage handling and storage solution and provides the highest reliability and security of any system available. Our team has worked very close with the Aruba Airport program team to verify system capabilities, operational benefits and future capabilities. We are proud to design a scalable and redundant tote-based system and we look forward to a successful long-term relationship with Aruba Airport."

The initial invitations relating to the tender for the Main Building Contractor for the Gateway 2030 Project have been sent out on November 12th, 2018 and the Aruba Airport Authority will be holding a Construction Fair in Aruba on November 29th, 2018 to present the project and create a forum for international construction companies to meet and initiate partnerships with local sub-contractors, business and tax consultants, and officials from the relevant government ministries.