BAGTOTE Early Bag Storage

BAGTOTE is a high-density early bag storage (EBS) system that places each individual checked bag into a dedicated RFID-equipped tote, which is then stored in a rack structure up to 20 metres high and retrieved by double-fork stacker cranes. The system provides fully independent access to any stored bag at any time, regardless of insertion order — a critical operational requirement when flight departure sequencing changes, when security rescan is needed, or when a passenger no-shows and their bag must be urgently retrieved without disturbing adjacent bags.

The double-fork technology provides redundancy: any bag can be accessed from more than one aisle, so a stacker crane failure does not prevent retrieval of bags in that aisle's zone. The 100% RFID tracking at tote level guarantees screening status integrity and bag-to-passenger reconciliation from the moment a bag enters storage through to make-up carousel injection.

BAGTOTE is the higher-capacity, higher-flexibility option within the Alstef early bag storage range, suited to large airports or hubs with long check-in windows, significant transfer traffic, or terminals that handle flights with wide departure time spreads requiring extended bag dwell time in secure storage. The system includes a range of conveyor types — straight, curve, merge, transfer tables, elevators, and dedicated loading/unloading stations — giving designers freedom to integrate storage into diverse terminal footprints.

For airports with tall, purpose-built bag store buildings or mezzanine structures, the 20-metre rack height maximises storage density per unit floor area — an important consideration where terminal real estate is constrained. In GCC hub environments, where long check-in windows are common for long-haul flights, a large BAGTOTE installation can absorb early arrivals from morning waves and release them into the sort system precisely as the load deadline approaches.