Leonardo strengthens Leonardo’s international positioning in the field of airport automation and logistics: Malta International Airport has chosen Leonardo’s technology to optimize baggage handling operations. Furthermore, with this project, the company reaches the quota of 50 Mbhs cross belt sorter systems sold.
The acronym means Multisort baggage handling system and is the name of a sorting machine (the only one on the market, the group assures) capable of overcoming slopes of up to 15° and differences in height of more than 8 metres, as well as an above-average sorting speed (up to 5 bags per second), energy saving and, above all, a high guarantee of baggage care, with a notable reduction in the risk of damage and loss.
Order to be completed by 2028
The contract with Malta provides for the supply and installation of a complete system, to be delivered within a tight deadline set by the airport’s management, as part of the broader terminal expansion project, which is expected to be completed by 2028. The new system will allow the processing of up to 5 thousand bags per hour and will make use of an advance reception and baggage storage system, designed and sized to manage the increase in demand, during peak hours, and the number of passengers on ships from cruise, which transit towards the port of Malta.
This technology, explains Riccardo Majorana, sales & business development director of Leonardo’s Automation unit, which has its historic headquarters in Genoa, where Mbhs was designed, «will allow speeding up check-in operations and flight set-up and reducing waiting times for baggage storage. Furthermore, it will be fully integrated with the airport security systems, including a screening area that will use the latest generation control equipment, fully compliant with the European standard 3. Which guarantees that the airports are aligned with the most stringent international safety requirements.”
A technology born in Genoa
With this sale, as mentioned, Leonardo has reached 50 Mbhs sold globally, across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, India and the United States. This is, underlines Giuseppe Ceppodomo, managing director of the Automation business unit, «an important milestone, the result of a path of concrete and continuous innovation. This technology has helped transform the baggage handling industry and, through the work of our people and constant investment, we have strengthened our competitive advantage.”
