Contract Awarded for T2 Baggage Handling System at Medina Airport, Saudi Arabia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 22, Leonardo, MAFA Co. Ltd., and BELTCON were awarded the contract for the automated baggage handling system for the T2 terminal expansion project at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The contract scope covers the engineering design, system integration, manufacturing, installation, testing, commissioning, and delivery of a complete baggage handling system, serving the departure, transfer, and arrival baggage processes following the T2 expansion. On-site installation is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with final system commissioning expected to be completed in April 2027.

The core equipment for this project is provided by Leonardo, including the MBHS Cross-belt Sorter and the Sort Allocation Computer (SAC) sorting allocation control system. The system will be integrated with the airport's existing operational platform to automatically match baggage destinations, flight information, and handling routes, and will cover both regular and out-of-gauge baggage handling. The MBHS employs linear motors, inductive power supply, and wireless communication technologies to achieve high-speed sorting and route control. Leonardo disclosed that this technology has already been deployed in more than 50 airport projects worldwide, and this marks the first application of MBHS at a Saudi airport.

Project engineering implementation is carried out collaboratively by the three parties. Leonardo is responsible for the core automated sorting technology and control system, while MAFA and BELTCON undertake engineering, manufacturing, system integration, on-site installation, testing, and commissioning. The contract is not merely equipment supply, but a complete professional engineering package covering everything from system design to on-site delivery, involving conveyor machinery, electrical control, software, on-site interfaces, and integrated commissioning with the airport's operational systems. Public information has not yet disclosed the contract amount, total conveyor line length, number of sorters, or design peak handling capacity.

Medina Airport's current Phase 1 design annual passenger throughput capacity is approximately 8 million passengers. The airport's subsequent expansion plans will increase annual handling capacity to 18 million passengers, with the long-term Phase 3 reaching 27 million passengers. According to Tibah Airports information, in addition to serving regular international and domestic aviation demand, the airport expansion also addresses the capacity demand brought by the continuous growth of Hajj and Umrah passengers in Medina. Tibah Airports Operation Company has been responsible for airport operations since 2012 and is also the first enterprise in Saudi Arabia to operate an international airport under a private model.

The existing Phase 1 new terminal building at Medina Airport has a floor area of approximately 150,000 square meters, equipped with 64 check-in counters, 10 baggage reclaim facilities, and 31 boarding bridges. The airport runway is 4,335 meters long and 60 meters wide. After the T2 expansion, baggage handling capacity needs to match the added check-in, passenger security screening, boarding, and transfer processes. This automated baggage system is a key specialized system in the terminal expansion that directly affects passenger handling capacity and flight turnaround efficiency.

From the construction timeline perspective, this contract has already entered the equipment manufacturing and engineering preparation stage, will transition to on-site installation in January 2027, and complete final commissioning in April 2027, with a relatively concentrated implementation period. After project delivery, T2 will form an automated baggage routing system covering the entire departure, transfer, and arrival processes, and will be linked with the existing airport operational systems, providing an expandable baggage handling architecture for subsequent terminal capacity expansion.