Computerworld

​16 airlines take off with Unisys solutions in multi-million dollar NZ deal

16 international airlines operating to and from New Zealand sign four-year agreement with Unisys.
Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport

As many as 16 international airlines operating to and from New Zealand have signed a four-year agreement for Unisys to continue providing an advanced baggage reconciliation system for international flights operating from Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington airports.

The baggage reconciliation system links passengers with their bags, tracking both as they move through the system to help the airlines comply with aviation industry security requirements.

The Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand (BARNZ), an organisation representing airlines, manages the engagement with Unisys on behalf of the group of airlines, and has worked with the tech company since 2010.

“Unisys draws on its unique mix of proven credentials in security and the aviation industry to provide BARNZ with a solution that combines business efficiencies, compliance with industry security regulations, and an improved passenger experience for international travellers visiting New Zealand,” says Olivier Houri, Global vice president of Worldwide transportation, Unisys.

Houri says each year the participating airlines secure and validate bags for more than two million passengers on flights departing New Zealand.

When passengers check in, each bag receives a barcode, which is then scanned and reconciled with a passenger record before the bag can be loaded onto the aircraft.

As the airline has a record of the baggage loading order, bags can be quickly identified and recovered if passengers fail to board.

According to Houri, this process is designed to prevent a mismatch of passengers, crew and baggage, and to enhance security levels by avoiding the possibility of unaccompanied baggage being loaded on the flight.

Consequently, the Unisys baggage reconciliation system helps airlines comply with the Hold Baggage Authorisation (HBA) regulations, also known as Account And Authorise (AAA) regulations, for baggage handling defined by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

“Secure and efficient baggage handling is a key issue for both airlines and their passengers,” adds John Beckett, Executive director, Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand.

“The Unisys baggage reconciliation system helps our member airlines comply with industry-mandated security requirements for baggage handling, while providing efficient processing to quickly find or remove baggage to help prevent delays.”

The Unisys baggage reconciliation system team provides a managed service that includes managing the network infrastructure and security architecture; training and onsite support; application management; and round-the-clock help desk support.