DENVER—Two years after the abandonment of Denver International Airport’s automated baggage handling system that was notorious for chewing up suitcases and failing to deliver its cargo, plans are in the works for a new, modest system.
The new $30 million system would connect the terminal to one of the concourses as part of $1.2 billion in airport expansion projects. It would use either a conveyor-belt system or a luggage-tray operation that also rides on belts.
“Certainly we one day expect to have a baggage system that serves all the concourses, but not until we demonstrate that the system works and examine its cost effectiveness,” said Woods Allee, DIA’s assistant manager of aviation for maintenance and engineering.
The old system, once billed as the most advanced in the world, had numerous problems that delayed the opening of the airport in 1995 and cost overruns pushed its price tag to $700 million.
United Airlines was the only carrier that used the system, but only for outbound luggage. The airline abandoned the system in 2005.
Denver next month plans to issue $600 million in bonds to pay for the projects, with an additional $722 million bond issue later for construction projects beyond 2008.
DIA plans 10 new mainline jet gates, a new terminal for up to 23 commuter planes, a commuter rail station and another covered parking garage.
In addition to the projects, the bonds will pay to refinance as much as $150 million in existing DIA debt.
