November 2021; Denver International Airport (DEN) has successfully completed Phase one of its Great Hall Project. The newly renovated Level six has received rave reviews from passengers and airline staff ahead of the travel season specifically praising the user friendliness of the 86 new self-bag drop (SBD) systems developed by Materna IPS.
With over 73 million passengers expected to travel through DEN in 2022, the opening of the 86 SBD systems perfectly aligns with the airport’s extensive technological redevelopment project; and is designed to provide passengers with the best check-in experience, including the ability to check-in over-sized luggage like skis and snowboards. The unique hybrid SBDs are also equipped with counters and can be operated by the airline staff when needed. This gives the airport the increased flexibility to meet the growing demands. Materna IPS and various partners developed the self-service systems according to the exact requirements of the airport and equipped them with state-of-the-art technology.
This project is the largest and most extensive hybrid SBD installation in the United States. The systems went live with Southwest Airlines early in November 2021, followed by United Airlines a week later. Within the first two weeks, over 35,000 bags have been processed with the newly integrated automatic baggage handling system. The Materna IPS systems were able to decrease the average passenger transaction time at DEN by nearly 50% during this period.
In addition to the hardware solution, Southwest Airlines will be using the Materna IPS SBD Application to operate the new automated baggage handling process. Materna IPS will also be responsible for hosting the SBD system within the AWS Cloud where the availability and functionality of the SBD units are constantly monitored.
With the outstanding successful implementation of this major project at Denver International Airport, Materna IPS continues to strengthen its leading position in the American market and is expanding its international growth. Gary McDonald, president of Materna IPS USA, reiterates, “Everyone involved is absolutely honoured to be part of this incredible, groundbreaking and innovative project that is revolutionising passenger handling in the U.S. at one of the busiest airports in the world.”