Cork Airport today announced a €2.4 million investment to upgrade its baggage security screening system to latest EU standards. Work on upgrading the system is due to start next month, with full installation and commissioning due to take place in May.
All European international airports are required to comply with new EU standards and delivery of the Cork Airport upgrade in May will ensure the airport’s compliance with an EU Directive that sets a deadline for completion by January 2014.
Cork Airport’s baggage system catered for 2.4 million passengers with over 1.2 million bags last year (excluding hand baggage) and the airport expects modest passenger growth in 2013. The upgrade project is scheduled mostly at night-time in order to minimise disruption to airport operations and to ensure that the upgrade is completed before the peak summer season begins. A leading global specialist baggage systems company, Logan Teleflex, has secured the contract and the new equipment is due on site in February.
Airport Director Niall MacCarthy said: “This project is about Cork Airport’s compliance with the highest international security standards for hold baggage. The long term view is important in the airport business and significant planning is required to ensure that the airport’s systems are safe, secure and provide the best possible service to the thousands of passengers who use our terminal everyday.”
All works will take place within a restricted area airside and normal airport operations concerning passengers will be largely unaffected by the baggage upgrade. The new security screening units, once installed, will greatly improve overall imaging and detection quality and will achieve optimum baggage throughput requirements consistent with expected passenger growth at Cork Airport.
