The Denver Airport baggage handling system was owned by United Airlines and built at a cost of $230 million to automate baggage handling through the entire airport. However, the complex system proved more difficult than expected and faced many problems, forcing the airport to shut down for 16 months. The failure of the system resulted in over $340 million in costs due to delays and interest, in addition to ongoing maintenance costs that were higher than the previous manual system.

1. Denver Airport Baggage
Handling System
ICT 2233 - Software Engineering

2. Group Members
● TG/2017/233 - W. W. M. S. Karunasena
● TG/2017/249 - G. P. R. L. Senarathna
● TG/2017/255 - N. V. R. K. Prasenajith
● TG/2017/258 - D.S.Weeraddana

3. Content
• Introduction
• Who owns
• When it was developed, cost
• Purpose
• Disaster or failure
• Cost of failure

4. Introduction
➔ World’s largest automated airport baggage handling system.
➔ Originally planned to automate the handling of baggage
through the entire airport.
➔ But this method proved more complicated than some initially
thought.
➔ As they worked with this system, it faced more problems.
➔ As a result, the airport was shut down for 16 months.

5. Who owns
❖ Owned By United Airlines.
❖ This is covering land area of 140 Km2.
❖ This was to be the largest airport in US and capacity to handle more
than 50m passengers annually.

6. When it was developed, cost
❏ The system was designed and built by BAE Automated systems Inc
in carrollton,Texas.
❏ The works starts on Nov 1989.
❏ It was set to opened in october 1993 but did not do so until
February 1995.
❏ But in 2003 it was acquired by G&T conveyor co in Taveras.
❏ The total cost is $230 million for design and install.
❏ But because of the delay of 16 months it will become $340 million
with interest.

7. Purpose
➢ All baggage was handled by a manual tug and trolley system that
was hurriedly built
➢ Time Saving
➢ Damages of baggages can be decreased
➢ Reduce the manPower

8. Disaster or failure
● The monthly cost of maintenance of new system was higher
rather than manual system.($1M)
● Underestimation of complexity
● Complex architecture.
● Changes in requirements.
● Underestimation of schedule and budget.
● Dismissal of advice from experts.

9. Denver international airport baggage handling system

10. Cost of failure
★ When they decided to shutdown the airport, they had to pay $ 60
million a year as part of its lease.
★ United pays about $ 200 million a year to use airport gates and
facilities.
★ The design and installation of the luggage system cost about $
230m million and they had to pay $ 340m in interest but were
unable to pay due to the delay in opening the airport.