Passengers using Dublin Airport may in the near future be able to drop off their luggage at remote locations prior to taking their flights.
DAA, the airport operator, plans to trial a system next year that would allow intending passengers to drop off their luggage at several locations around Dublin and potentially other towns in advance of their own journey to the airport.
DAA said it was seeking interest from potential providers of a remote bag drop service for passengers at Dublin Airport as an enhancement of its existing customer services.
A DAA spokesperson said it was looking at the opportunity to provide such a service by allowing passengers to check-in hold baggage at locations outside of the airport campus.
It believes there could be significant demand for the service from passengers who are anxious to avoid having to carry large amounts of heavy luggage to the airport themselves.
While it has no specific locations in mind, DAA said it believed the provider of the remote drop-off service might operate a number of “hubs” in the greater Dublin region.
Over a 12-month period to September 2019, DAA said it handled almost 8 million check-in bags through its baggage system.
The spokesperson said the initiative was not linked to several airlines introducing more restrictive cabin baggage limits but was designed to improve customer service.
“We are always looking for way to improve the passenger service and we believe there would be a demand from passengers to securely drop their bags at an offsite location and have them delivered to the airport and checked through automatically,” the spokesperson added.
DAA hopes a trial on the remote drop-off service by a delivery company or courier service can be carried out over the spring and summer of 2020.
The bag drop service, which has a working name of Offload, is a new development from Dublin Airport’s Future Factory innovation hub.
“Working with the airport and external partners in a hothouse style programme, the Future Factory aims to generate new business opportunities for Dublin Airport and also improve existing processes,” the spokesperson said.
