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Comprehensive systems training to ensure smooth operations

Comprehensive systems training to ensure smooth operations

When the new terminal building at Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport opened on December 9, 2020, Bermudians and travelers were ready for the improved facilities. The nearly US$400m, 26,756m² facility provides an improved passenger experience with a streamlined check-in process, including a fully automated baggage handling system (BHS), the latest in pre-boarding screening equipment, and six passenger boarding bridges.

The airport’s baggage handling system includes a CT inline hold-baggage screening system, sophisticated sortation interfaced with messaging systems and the airport’s flight database, and an advanced baggage image and weight information system (BIWIS) to provide US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance staff with information on passengers’ checked bags.

Of course, a brand-new, highly automated facility like this one requires testing and commissioning of the new BHS, passenger boarding bridges, and security systems. Aecon, a Canadian leader in infrastructure construction, contracted NextGen Systems Group for this essential phase of the project. Looking ahead to its operation of the airport, Skyport built a team to operate and maintain the new baggage systems and boarding bridges. The company relied on NextGen to assist in the development and execution of a hiring and training plan that ensured that a new team was ready for opening day.

NextGen provided training that was supplemental to the vendors’ equipment training and standard operating procedures. For the baggage systems in particular, the team identified all single points of failure and trialled contingencies so that the operators could become familiar with the required effort – important for a fast response and recovery time. In addition, the generic airport knowledge that some of us might take for granted was largely unknown to the new team. Some general airport training was important to ensure that the personnel understood the health and safety risks of their work environment. Training explored bag-room safety in addition to care and control of bags from a security perspective.

Airports bring people and places together. To do this, the facilities and the operators all need to be in sync.