Gimpo Airport International Terminal, Operation of Automated Baggage Sorting System

Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Korea Airports Corporation Seoul Regional Headquarters announced on the 25th that it will introduce and operate a system that automatically sorts checked baggage for passengers at Gimpo Airport's international terminal.

The departure baggage automatic sorting system moves away from the existing one-to-one arrangement between a single counter and a single carousel (rotary circular conveyor) and allows baggage to be sent to a designated carousel from any check-in counter. The baggage sorting and processing time is reduced from an average of 8 minutes 30 seconds to 6 minutes 30 seconds.

The Gimpo Airport international baggage automatic sorting system was installed over 22 months starting from February 2020. The system is duplicated to enable uninterrupted operation by immediate manual switching in case of system failure, and after 5 months of testing, full-scale operation begins from this day.

The operating software for automatic baggage sorting was programmed using purely domestic technology, securing the original technology. The system improved baggage recognition by introducing an image-based barcode reading system instead of the existing laser scanning, enabling baggage recognition even under conditions of distortion, blurring, or damage. Additionally, a patented system by the corporation was installed to operate the carousel wirelessly from the check-in counter, enhancing operational convenience.

Kim Doo-hwan, head of Korea Airports Corporation Seoul Regional Headquarters, emphasized, “Through the operation of the international baggage automatic sorting system, we will support not only the flow of passengers but also the flow of baggage to be processed more quickly, ensuring safer and more accurate arrival at the destination airport.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.