Check In. Screen.Sort. Deliver.Every Bag, On Time.
ASG Systems designs, fabricates, installs and maintains baggage handling systems (BHS) for airports and terminals in Pakistan: check-in and collector conveyors, hold baggage screening integration, sortation, make-up and reclaim carousels, and the PLC controls that run them.
- Local fabrication, installation and commissioning
- Screening, sortation and controls integrated
- Operations, maintenance and spare parts support
- Check-in, collector and transfer conveyors
- Hold baggage screening (HBS) integration
- Sortation, make-up and reclaim carousels
- PLC, SCADA and 24/7 maintenance
What is a baggage handling system?
A baggage handling system is the network of conveyors, screening machines, sorters and carousels that moves checked baggage from the check-in counter to the right aircraft, and from the aircraft back to the passenger. It runs behind the walls of every modern airport, mostly without anyone seeing it.
When a passenger checks in, the bag is weighed and tagged with a barcode label (and in many airports an RFID tag). Conveyors carry it to hold baggage screening, where X-ray and explosive detection equipment checks it. A cleared bag is read by scanners and sent by the sorter to the make-up area of its flight, where ground staff load it into containers or carts. On arrival, bags go the other way, onto the reclaim carousel in the arrivals hall.
A well-designed BHS keeps flights on time, reduces mishandled and lost bags, protects staff from heavy lifting and makes sure no bag reaches an aircraft without being screened.
From the check-in counter to the aircraft hold
Every airport is different, but most departure baggage systems follow the same six steps. Each step is controlled by the PLC and tracked in real time, so operators always know where a bag is.
Check-in and tagging
The bag is weighed on the check-in conveyor and given a bar-coded bag tag with a 10-digit licence plate number. Self bag-drop units do the same without an agent.
Collection and transport
Collector conveyors merge bags from all counters onto the main line. Belt, roller and curve conveyors, inclines and vertical units carry them through the building.
Hold baggage screening
Every bag passes multi-level screening: automatic X-ray or explosive detection first, operator image review next, then a secondary check for anything that is still not cleared.
Reading and sortation
Automatic tag readers (barcode or RFID) identify the bag. The sorter, using diverters, pushers or a tilt-tray or cross-belt loop, sends it to the correct flight.
Make-up and loading
Bags arrive at make-up carousels or laterals, where handlers load them into containers or carts. Reconciliation confirms that only bags of boarded passengers fly.
Arrival and reclaim
On arrival, bags are unloaded onto a feed conveyor that delivers them to the reclaim carousel in the arrivals hall, with flight information shown on screens.
Baggage handling system components
We deliver complete systems or individual sub-systems for new terminals, expansions and upgrades of existing airport baggage handling systems.
Check-in & bag-drop conveyors
Weigh, label and dispatch conveyors for check-in counters, with integrated scales and controls, and self bag-drop integration.
Collector & transport conveyors
Belt, roller, curve, incline and decline conveyors, merges and vertical units, built and installed to the airport’s layout.
Hold baggage screening integration
Conveyor lines, decision points and bag tracking around X-ray and explosive detection machines, so each bag is screened before loading. See our security screening systems.
Sorters & diverters
Pushers, pop-up and vertical diverters, and tilt-tray or cross-belt sorters that route each bag to its flight automatically.
Make-up & reclaim carousels
Flat-plate and sloped carousels for departures make-up and arrivals reclaim, sized to the airport’s peak-hour baggage flow.
PLC, SCADA & bag tracking
Control panels, PLC programming, SCADA screens, barcode and RFID tag readers, and integration with the airport’s departure control and sortation data.
Baggage handling at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore
ASG Systems is the installation contractor for a new baggage handling system at Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIA), Lahore, working with the main contractor and an international BHS manufacturer. The mechanical equipment is fabricated locally in Pakistan, which shortens lead times and makes spare parts easier to source.
The project follows four planned phases: mechanical fabrication and installation, electrical installation and testing, PLC and controls integration, and testing, commissioning and handover. It builds on ASG’s earlier work at the same airport, where we delivered vehicle access control and Pakistan’s first camera-based parking management system.
- Local fabrication of conveyor structures and supports
- Cabling, control panels and point-to-point testing
- Integrated testing with screening and sortation
How ASG delivers a baggage handling project
Baggage systems are installed in live, security-controlled airports, often while flights continue. Our engineers plan every phase so that work is safe, documented and ready for handover.
Survey & design review
Site survey, layout and civil interfaces, baggage flow and peak-hour checks, and method statements for installation in an operating terminal.
Fabrication & mechanical
Local fabrication of frames, supports and platforms; installation and alignment of conveyors, merges, diverters and carousels.
Electrical & controls
Motor control panels, cable trays and cabling, sensors and tag readers, PLC programming and SCADA, with point-to-point testing.
Commissioning & support
Integrated and load testing, operator training, as-built drawings and O&M manuals, then maintenance and spare parts support.
Manual, semi-automatic or fully automated BHS?
The right level of automation depends on passenger numbers, terminal space, screening requirements and budget. This comparison helps airport planners and operators start the conversation.
| Feature | Manual / basic | Semi-automatic | Fully automated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical airport | Small domestic airports and cargo counters | Regional and mid-size airports | Large international airports and hubs |
| Sorting | Handlers sort bags by hand | Manual coding or simple diverters | Automatic tag reading and sorters |
| Hold baggage screening | Standalone X-ray machines | Inline X-ray on the conveyor line | Multi-level inline screening with tracking |
| Bag tracking | Paper and manual counts | Barcode scans at key points | Full tracking with barcode and RFID |
| Staff and lifting | High | Medium | Low |
| Capacity growth | Limited | Can be upgraded in stages | Designed for future expansion |
Baggage handling solutions for
International airports
Departure, transfer and arrival systems with inline screening and automatic sortation.
Domestic & regional airports
Compact check-in, screening and reclaim systems that can be expanded as traffic grows.
Terminal expansions & upgrades
New lines, carousels and controls added to existing systems with minimum disruption.
Cargo & courier hubs
Parcel conveyors, screening and sorting for cargo terminals and logistics centres.
One partner for baggage, screening and airport security
Since 1997, ASG Systems has delivered security and automation projects for airports, government buildings and commercial sites across Pakistan, with offices in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. For a baggage handling project, that means one team that understands the conveyors and the security systems around them.
- Local fabrication and installation teams in Pakistan
- Integration with X-ray screening, CCTV, fire alarm and access control
- Experience working inside live, high-security airports
- Preventive maintenance, breakdown support and spare parts
Baggage handling system FAQs
What is a baggage handling system at an airport?
It is the system of conveyors, screening equipment, sorters and carousels that moves checked bags from check-in to the aircraft and from the aircraft to the arrivals reclaim belt. It is controlled by PLCs and software that track each bag.
What are the main parts of a baggage handling system?
Check-in and bag-drop conveyors, collector and transport conveyors, hold baggage screening, tag readers and sorters, make-up carousels or laterals, reclaim carousels, and the PLC, SCADA and tracking software that control them.
How is hold baggage screened in a BHS?
Inline screening uses several levels. An automatic X-ray or explosive detection system checks every bag first. Bags it cannot clear go to an operator who reviews the image, and any bag still not cleared is sent for a further check before it can be loaded.
Does ASG Systems install baggage handling systems in Pakistan?
Yes. ASG Systems fabricates, installs, tests and commissions baggage handling equipment, and is currently the installation contractor for a new baggage handling system at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore.
How long does a baggage handling system installation take?
It depends on the size of the system, local fabrication, civil readiness and whether the terminal stays in operation. A small reclaim or check-in line can take weeks, while a complete departure system with screening and sortation is a multi-month project.
Can an existing baggage system be upgraded?
Yes. Conveyors, controls, tag readers and screening lines can often be upgraded or extended in stages, so that capacity and security improve without replacing the whole system at once.
Planning a baggage handling system or an upgrade?
Share your terminal layout or tender documents. Our team will review the scope and help with fabrication, installation, controls and commissioning.
