Although aviation has advanced dramatically over the past few decades, baggage handling in narrow-body planes (about 70% of the global passenger fleet) remains largely unchanged since the 1960s. Every day in the U.S., ground crews crawl into cramped 4-foot cargo holds roughly 20,000 times. It’s the leading cause of ground crew injuries and a major contributor to flight delays:

• Workforce strain - High labor costs, constant employee turnover, frequent injuries (≈8 per 1,000 flights), and systemic inefficiencies. Ramp crews are also vulnerable to weather disruptions, often pulled off duty during severe weather or nearby lightning.
• Turnaround delays - Baggage handling is the single largest source of delays and the longest activity in the turnaround process. Every extra minute on the ground costs airlines hundreds of dollars. Improving turnaround efficiency unlocks higher aircraft utilization for airlines and increases airport capacity, enabling more flights per day.
• No baggage visibility - There’s no reliable data on luggage location inside the hold. When a bag must be removed for safety reasons or because a passenger doesn’t board, finding it is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The result: airlines lose money, airports lose efficiency, and workers face unsafe conditions. all because baggage handling hasn’t evolved in half a century.

Narrow-body aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 account for over 70% of global passenger flights. In 2024, Boeing 737 aircraft alone flew 10 million flights, while the Airbus A320 completed 7.9 million flights (IATA). Each of these flights still relies on manual baggage handling, which contributes to airlines regularly missing their own turnaround targets (a major pain point for operators and passengers alike).

The demand for automation is urgent. Airlines and airports are under pressure from labor shortages, rising operational costs, and the need for faster, safer ground operations. At the same time, a growing ecosystem of startups and terminal automation solutions is emerging, complementing our on-ramp efforts to achieve a flawless, end-to-end automated baggage flow. Automated baggage handling is not just an improvement, it’s the critical missing link in modernizing airport operations.