Airports
Ishigaki Air Terminal Co., Ltd. (Baggage Handling System)
Mr. Ken Gima (Facilities Division Chief)
Challenges
- A highly reliable BHS is an absolute must.
- Little knowledge of BHS since it was the first opening of the airport.
Results
- Achieved high uptime, indeed the machine has been completely trouble-free.
- Even during peak operation, the system has reliably transported a lot of baggage.
- Achieved extremely stable operation by being linked with Toyo Kanetsu’s maintenance system.
BackgroundThe airport absolutely needed a highly reliable Baggage Handling System when it was opened in March 2014.
Background
The airport absolutely needed a highly reliable Baggage Handling System when it was opened in March 2014.
The airport was designed to be easy for anyone to understand. Even first time visitors seem to intuitively find their way around. The airport is designed to universally be easy-to-understand, while creating a welcoming atmosphere of Ishigaki Island, a resort area.
The smooth operation of the airport, the gateway to paradise, is a must for happy customers. Any equipment that handles customer property must be highly reliable.
Reasons We Chose Toyo Kanetsu Solutions:Toyo Kanetsu has the largest share in Japan and a reputation for success.
Reasons We Chose Toyo Kanetsu Solutions:
Toyo Kanetsu has the largest share in Japan and a reputation for success.
Prior to selecting a company, we visited many domestic airports and then selected Toyo Kanetsu. What stood out was the wealth of experience that Toyo Kanetsu has in BHS in Japan, a point made clear by their overwhelming market share. Currently the airport serves 72 flights (departures and arrivals) but in peak season the airport lobby is full of people. Any stoppage of the Baggage Handling System would be a major issue, causing confusion to passengers. Since the airport is only 1.5km from the coastline, a windy day can bring a salty breeze so rusting can result. Based on our very thorough investigation, we believed Toyo Kanetsu had a wealth of experience and knowledge in the industry, and they met our cost constraints. We are very pleased with the high quality products and systems introduced within our budget.
BenefitThe system has been running smoothly and without trouble since the airport opened.
Benefit
The system has been running smoothly and without trouble since the airport opened.
We have seen no defects with Toyo Kanetsu's flat Triplanar® and it is quiet, runs smoothly, does not breakdown even though it operates continuously. Thanks to Toyo Kanetsu, our operations run continuously. Because Toyo Kanetsu has the largest share in Japan, the maintenance system is equally strong, another advantage. An affiliate company of Toyo Kanetsu actually performs the maintenance of the system, however, they are in close contact with Toyo Kanetsu on maintenance programs.
The number of visitors going through Ishigaki Airport has risen steadily. In 2011, it was 1.5 million; in 2013, over 2 million when the new airport opened, and last year reached 2.3 million visitors. We have been helped by the reliability of the BHS.
What’s Next?We will consider expansion as the number of passengers increases steadily.
What’s Next?
We will consider expansion as the number of passengers increases steadily.
The old Ishigaki airport had a runway of 1,500m which is barely long enough for a jet aircraft to take-off. As a result, departing planes could not refuel at Ishigaki, so to fly to Haneda, flights had to go through to main island of Okinawa or Miyakojima. The new airport has a longer runway 2,000 m, allowing for operation of round trip flights. The airport has indeed been good for the community as well. It has brought more visitors and a thriving local business community. During peak season, airlines are at about 90% capacity so the airport is in full operation. We also expect to see a rise in the number of foreign visitors, especially from Taiwan.
Likewise, an increase in visitors, means an increase in the amount of baggage handled. If airplanes are delayed, it can cause confusion and congestion with only two baggage lines. At the design stage, we built in space to add a third baggage claim line. If the number of passengers continues to rise, we will move ahead with that expansion. Toyo Kanetsu will be our first choice.
* Source: Based on an interview conducted January 2015. Data, organizational departments and personal names appear as they were at time of interview.
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