This unique tour offers a behind the scenes look at ground services. Accompanied by an experienced tour guide, participants will follow the path that the luggage takes, from the sorting system all the way to the aircraft.
The group meets the tour guide at Arrival 2. After passing through the security check, the tour stops at the luggage sorting system. Participants can witness the handling of luggage from all over the world. At an impressive speed on over 12 km of conveyor belt, the items are sorted automatically according to a barcode on the luggage tag and loaded into containers by Swissport employees. Our tour guides explain the luggage transportation process from the moment the items arrive in the sorting area all the way to the aircraft. The tour participants witness the weighing of the containers, the printing of the required documents and the preparation of the containers for further transportation.
Next stop is a visit to the stands at the A-Gates to witness the teamwork of the loading staff, the transport drivers and the co-ordinators servicing a short haul aircraft. To ensure an efficient service, a range of ground support equipment such as conveyor belts or hydraulic ramps are used. The tour guide explains the safety aspects that Swissport employees must be aware of during handling and describes the interaction between Swissport, the airline and other ground services. As soon as the aircraft is ready to depart, a pushback truck moves the aircraft from the stand, as the aircraft is not capable of driving backwards. It may be possible to witness this first hand.
To conclude the tour, participants walk through the Arrivals 1 and 2 luggage halls whilst the tour guide provides interesting details about the incoming luggage as well as the Swissport Lost & Found Service. After 1.5 hours, the tour ends at Arrivals 2.
Swissport Tour – the path of a suitcase
The tour commences at Arrival 2 and visits the following areas:
- Luggage Sorting System (distribution, detailed sorting and storage)
- Luggage transport
- A-Gate stands
- Swissport Lost & Found
- Arrivals 1 & 2
Please note: due to time restrictions, the tour does not visit Dock E.
