THE FAILURE OF DENVER

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’S
AUTOMATED BAGGAGE SYSTEM
 Analysis of the Denver International Airport baggage system

Denver Airport had ambitious It ran over budget by almost

plans to route passenger’s bags
to and from aircraft without
significant human intervention.
The system was called the
Denver International Airport
Baggage System.
30%, with an actual cost of
$250M planned, and completion
was delayed 18 months. The
problem was that the system did
not function as intended.
Introduction
 It was the first major airport to be built in the united states in over
20 years.
 It is comprised of three terminals and several runways and is built

on 53 square miles of land.

 The airlines were as disappointed as the city in a traditional

manual system. In general, airlines maximize their profits by

keeping their planes airborne, not grounded and waiting for
baggage.
 It was first scheduled to open on Oct 31,1993.
The Foundation of Failure
  Problems first arose at the Denver International Airport
when it came time to implement a baggage handling system.
  As of 1991, United Airlines was the only just beginning to
negotiate a Contract.
  As a result the DIA officials renegotiated the contract to
have the system being designed for united Service the entire
airport.
About the Development Firm
 The company that united had contracted was Dallas base
engineering firm, One of the leaders of the industry.
 The baggage handling system that united had Contracted

was “Fully automated” a radical design which, when

completed, would only be the second of its kind in the
world, the first being DIA’s sister airport in Munich
Germany.
Major Problems Facing
 Long Distances
 High Speed
 Technologically Advanced
 Planning
 Schedule
 Requirements Modifications and Other Changes
 Software
 Timing
The Ridiculous Scope of the Project.
 Massive amounts of machinery needed to be Installed.
 In this system could be nearly impossible to pinpoint.
 List of components.
  The BAE design includes a number of high-tech components. It calls for 300 486-
class computers distributed in eight control rooms, a Raima Corp. database running
on a Netframe Systems fault-tolerant NF250 server, a high-speed fiber-optic
ethernet network, 14 million feet of wiring, 56 laser arrays, 400 frequency readers,
22 miles of track, 6 miles of conveyor belts, 3,100 standard telecars, 450 oversized
telecars, 10,000 motors, and 92 PLCs to control motors and track switches. With so
much equipment serving such a large area, the Denver International Airport's
baggage system is the world's largest, The system's total cost is $193 million
dollars.
Additional design problems caused by the airlines
 As difficult as designing the system was, airlines
planning to use the airport made it even more difficult.
 They did this by demanding thousands of msjor and
minor modifications to the system.
 The largest modification was united airline’s “Reques”
to remove one of the two loops of track that serviced
their section of the airport.
The Absurd Timeframe
 System was able to Begin work on the baggage
system in April of 1992, Less than 17 Month before
the airport’s scheduled opening Oct,1993
 That they had spent two entire years testing the
system. In addition , they had the -system running 24
ours a day for six month before the airport opened
Construction
 The decision to build the system came so late in the construction
process
 Lack of commotion between BAE and their German counterparts.
 Lack of communication within BAE.
 Mistakes made in both the design and construction of the system.
 Less understandable problems.
 Line balancing problem.
 System Complexity.
 Testing phase
It was truly disaster

 Carts jammed together.

 damaged luggage everywhere
 some baggers literally split in half
 
Suggested solutions
 The system was too complex in its design.
 The scope of the design was far too large.
 The system did not have a failsafe.
 Recommended simplifying the design.
 Suggested that system be divide into three parts, One for
each terminal
 They Implemented a manual tug and cart system as backup.
Opening delays
 Denver International Airport was scheduled to open on October 31, 1993
with all three of its concourses fully running on the BAE automated baggage
handling system. On February 28, 1995, Stapleton International Airport
finally closed its gates and terminal. Denver International Airport opened on
the same day, absorbing all of Stapleton's traffic. Its opening came sixteen
months late.
  The delays costthe city of Denver Thirty three million dollars per month in
interest.
 In total delays postponed the airport’s opening by sixteen months that
equates to put the airport being 1.3 billion dollars over budget.