Dealing with Australia’s political baggage

The Auckland-based company is taking part in an $A350 million upgrade project called  “Airvolution” being undertaken at Canberra airport.

BCS Group Australian subsidiary BCS Airport Systems was selected to provide the complete baggage handling system with security screening requirements for Canberra’s new Southern and Western terminal project. 

The three year project will see the airport employing the latest technology to track, screen, improve security and streamline baggage handling.

BCS General Manager Airport Systems- International, Marc Michel, said the company’s consistent ability to exceed technical and operational  requirements on projects from small regional airports through to large international airports such as Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, was crucial in winning Australian contracts over the past 12 years. It played a significant role in winning the Canberra contract.

“We have designed, manufactured and installed, and now operate and maintain all or part of the baggage handling systems at every major Australian airport”, he said. “For any organisation putting investment into multi-million dollar infrastructure, this track record is the icing on the cake.”

BCS has not only installed systems ranging from small regional airports, to major hubs handling over 20 million passengers per year, but is also the largest supplier of operations and maintenance services needed to keep these complex systems functioning 24/7 with some 150 staff employed in its Australian Infrastructure support division.

For the 16-year old company, the Canberra win topped off a record week, which also captured a two airport contract in the Philippines. 

It continues the company’s run of export wins, with exports growing strongly. Turnover has risen to $80 million in the past financial year and includes successes in France, Morocco, Egypt and Canada. Its Australian subsidiary, BCS Airport Systems, was recently named as a finalist in the Governor of Victoria Export Awards.  

Marc Michel said airport managers are looking for ways to drive cost savings through greater efficiency in baggage screening, handling and sorting systems and BCS New Zealand-developed smart technology and IP is providing the answers.

A BCS-developed innovation - Virtual Airport 3D software suite - is helping win contracts by simulating designs in 3D and, once the design is finalised, uses its emulation or virtual commissioning capability to develop and test the system’s controls prior to going to site. 

This allows airport clients to view their proposed baggage system and make decisions on optimising layout and bag processing methodology before manufacturing starts.

BCS’ control system and software expertise, together with its high end design mechanical solutions, has most recently seen it become a leader in Bag Drop systems. BCS was a major technology partner for Air New Zealand’s development and roll out of the world’s most innovative Bag-Drop solution at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch domestic terminals.

It is at the early stages of forming a Joint Venture in China to address the expanding Chinese airport market. This fits with the company’s invigorated export strategy recognising its major IP lies more in design, project management, automation and software expertise and less in manufacturing of the physical mechanical solutions.