Transforming airport logistics efficiency

Since Siemens launched its Postal, Parcel and Airport Logistics subsidiary (SPPAL) in 2015, the new entity has transformed airport logistics efficiency. The strategic move has paid big dividends for Siemens in securing its position as the technology leader in airport handling and logistics. Philip Yorke reports on the remarkable achievements of the new Siemens division and its plans for the future.

AS an independent Siemens company, SPPAL is structured to operate faster and more efficiently in a highly competitive market. With the sound financial footing provided by its multinational parent company SPPAL has been able to acquire AXIT GmbH and, as a result, has significantly expanded its market position in IT cloud-based logistics.

With its new global network, SPPAL has its own regional European companies, which are located in the UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the company operates under the brand name SD (Middle East) LLC, thanks to its long-standing joint-venture with the Al Moosa Group Investment company in Dubai.

The Asian market is covered by its own wholly-owned subsidiaries in Singapore, China and Hong Kong, while the Americas are serviced by its regional companies in the USA and Canada. The company also has its own local branch offices staffed by SPPAL employees in Turkey, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Siemens Group, SPPAL can also count on many other wellestablished sales channels in countess other countries.

Driving cloud-based logistics

More flexibility and transparency has been achieved for supply chains by the Siemens cloud-based logistics platform, AX4, which integrates all involved logistics partners. In order to manage a complex supply chain on a continuous basis, a lot of data must be exchanged, concerning items such as orders, delivery notes, loading lists and delivery dates, as well as racking and status information. This is in addition to details relating to weight, packaging, transit time and freight costs. The main problem is that each party is generally using its own in-house IT system, and there is no standard protocol and solution available.

SPPAL and its subsidiary AXIT provided the answer with the cloud-based logistics platform AX4. This central IT platform integrates all logistics partners and provides each one with access to the information through the unique AX4 platform at all times. The new system is also able to split up and consolidate transmitted data, and can manage time-controlled data both for import and export operations.

Smarter airport trays

Siemens’ unique tray solutions are in demand at large airports all over the world. SPPAL has recently won some major new contracts that feature its renowned advanced tray technology. Currently under construction is a new tray system for Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Siemens has become the partner of choice as its tray systems are very fast, and can reach speeds of up to 10

metres per second with an average sorting speed of 2.5 metres per second, thus confirming SPPAL as the clear technology leader.

During peak travelling times these new tray systems achieve the highest throughput rates ever achieved at up to 19,200 baggage items per hour recorded recently at Terminal 3 in Beijing. The belts located under the Siemens trays run over rollers to prevent any dynamic friction between the belts and conveyers, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption. Trays from Siemens are also very accurate, as all trays are fitted with radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices. This enables them to travel safely through the baggage handling system and to reach their intended destination with an accuracy very close to 100 per cent.

Today Siemens is the partner of choice for many of the world’s key hub airports worldwide from the Far East to the USA. Large international airports with a high number of transfer passengers increasingly favour the faster and more efficient SPPAL tray system technology.

Comprehensive range of services

As passenger and cargo volumes continue to see strong growth, sorting capacities are stretched to the limit. In order to ensure high system availability, reliability and operational efficiency over the entire lifecycle, SPPAL offers a comprehensive service portfolio for airports and airlines. Operation and maintenance (O&M) services, as well as modernisations and upgrades are just two of the modules available from Siemens.

A recent example of how SPPAL can significantly benefit airport operations and logistics can be seen at the San Diego International Airport in California. The Siemens company is responsible for O&M of the baggage handling system and for more than 50 passenger boarding bridges. The service contract has a term of three years and was placed by the SANCO Consortium, which is an association of 12 airlines serving San Diego airport and handling over 18 million passengers per year.

SANCO benefits in many ways as a result of Siemens O&M services. The customer benefits as SPPAL is providing all O&M services from a single source. This in turn means that SANCO no longer needs to work with multiple service providers. Siemens takes over the service of the baggage handling systems and passenger boarding bridges, including the corrective and preventative maintenance of all related technical equipment. The company also consolidated all San Diego airport’s control rooms to be at one location and to further improve overall maintenance process efficiency. The SANCO consortium and Siemens have already been working together successfully for a number of years. n For further details of SPPAL’s innovative O&M and logistics airport services visit: www.siemens.com/logistics