How London Gatwick Optimized Baggage Reclaim

London Gatwick Better Baggage case study 1

The case in short

London Gatwick Airport partnered with Copenhagen Optimization to modernize passenger operations and, critically, transform inbound baggage management. After first replacing an aging allocation tool with Better Check-in, Gatwick extended the collaboration to baggage—deploying Better Baggage Outbound and then Better Baggage Inbound to automate what had been a manual, spreadsheet-driven reclaim process.

Better Baggage Inbound ingests live schedule and baggage data, refreshes every five minutes, and continuously recalculates reclaim belt plans. Operators see real-time belt fill levels, flight statuses, and conflicts in a clear Gantt view—enabling proactive reallocation and targeted interventions during peaks. The result is a more stable, responsive operation with fewer manual adjustments, better belt balance, and shorter wait times for passengers. Beyond day-of execution, Gatwick now plans seasons and scenarios with confidence, modeling infrastructure or rule changes ahead of time.

London Gatwick: A gateway that never sleeps

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) is one of the UK’s busiest travel hubs, welcoming more than 46 million passengers every year and connecting them to over 230 destinations worldwide. Just a short journey from central London, Gatwick is a critical part of the UK’s air travel network — and like any major international airport, efficiency isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.

“Better Baggage has transformed the baggage reclaim operation for passengers. It has reduced congestion by optimising the allocation of belts, whilst providing airport management with assurance that a stable, reliable operation can be delivered”

Chris Fields, Head of Sales & Operations Planning

The Partnership Journey: From consultancy projects to game-changing solutions

Our relationship with London Gatwick began years before any system went live. We started with a series of consultancy projects, building trust and proving the value of data-driven decision-making in airport operations.

In 2022, the partnership took a major step forward with the implementation of Better Check-in. This not only replaced an outdated allocation system but also introduced enhanced operational insight, improved data visualization, and more flexible planning capabilities. The success of Better Check-in strengthened the relationship, opening the door to further innovation — particularly in baggage operations.

Following this, Gatwick implemented Better Baggage Outbound, streamlining a process that had previously been highly manual and spreadsheet driven. This shift set the stage for the next step in our partnership: optimizing inbound baggage management with Better Baggage Inbound.

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London Gatwick Better Baggage case study 1 (1)

Why Gatwick needed a smarter approach to baggage handling

Like many airports, Gatwick’s inbound baggage process used to be manual and heavily reliant on staffing. During COVID-19, they partially automated the process to keep operations running with fewer people — a solution that worked well when flight volumes were lower.

But as air travel bounced back, the complexity of baggage operations skyrocketed. Gatwick faced a choice: go back to time-consuming manual work or find a solution that could handle peak demand without the bottlenecks.

They turned to Copenhagen Optimization to fully automate and optimize reclaim belts allocations with Better Baggage Inbound — a solution designed to provide real-time visibility, proactive planning, and optimal use of reclaim belts, even during peak demand.

Implementing Better Baggage Inbound: Real-time planning for a fast-moving airport

Better Baggage Inbound gives Gatwick’s operations team a more agile solution providing complete visibility of reclaim belt usage in real time, backed by continuous data updates and intuitive planning updates.

Here’s how it works in practice:

Constant data refresh: Better Baggage receives updated schedule information every five minutes, including latest estimated and actual arrival times, as well as first bag and last bag timestamps.
Baggage volume insight: For many flights, expected baggage volumes are based on forecasts; for some airlines, the system uses actual baggage message data for even greater accuracy.
Dynamic reallocation: Allocations for incoming flights are automatically recalculated throughout the day. If a delay occurs or volumes shift, flights can be reassigned to other belts to maintain optimal balance.
Operational flexibility: Within a defined “operational window” operators can still manually adjust allocations when needed — ensuring control is always in human hands.

Smarter decision-making through visualization:

Using custom colour codes, ongoing flights with a first bag timestamp are flagged in bright red, while completed flights with a last bag timestamp are shown in black.
Operators also benefit from real-time fill-level data, gathered via belt sensors, which is displayed directly in the system’s Gantt chart view. This allows them to instantly see how busy a belt is and adjust plans accordingly.
All this data flows automatically from sensors into Better Baggage via the Better Airport API, ensuring seamless updates without extra manual work.

The result? A reclaim process that’s more efficient, less stressful, and far better for passengers waiting to collect their bags.

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Results: Tangible gains in efficiency and passenger experience

Gatwick’s adoption of Copenhagen Optimization’s solutions has delivered measurable improvements across the operation:

More responsive check-in processes that adapt easily to real-time operational changes.
Automated baggage planning that reduces manual work, freeing staff for higher-value tasks.
Optimized reclaim belt usage that minimizes congestion and shortens waiting times for passengers.

These improvements have strengthened operational resilience, particularly during high-traffic periods, and contributed to a smoother, more reliable passenger journey.

When looking at Better Baggage Inbound specifically, the implementation has transformed Gatwick’s reclaim belt operations into a faster, smarter, and more resilient process.

Better Baggage Inbound: Key outcomes

Fewer manual adjustments
— with most allocations managed automatically, staff can focus on higher-value operational decisions.
Optimized belt balance
— reducing congestion and speeding up the flow of baggage to passengers.
Improved visibility
— real-time monitoring means operators always know the status of each belt and can respond instantly to changes.
Enhanced passenger experience
— smoother baggage delivery translates directly into shorter waits and less crowding.

Planning and resilience capabilities

Long-term scenario planning
— model future years to assess the impact of infrastructure changes, demand shifts, and rule updates.
Seasonal planning
— identify upcoming pinch points and mitigate via rule or allocation changes and targeted operational interventions.
Real-time responsiveness
— react quickly to infrastructure outages or emerging operational requirements.
Day-ahead visualization
— clear, shared view of the operation for the day to come to align teams and decisions.

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Innovating airport efficiency: London Gatwick's leap forward with Copenhagen Optimization

The case in short

London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

43 mill. passengers (2024)

220 destinations