JAL Ground Services, which handles ground handling operations for JAL-operated flights, was the first to receive "ISAGO" certification, an international standard for ground handling operations, at Narita and Haneda airports in December 2020. This is proof that the safety and quality of ground operations required to fly aircraft are at a high international level. This includes the handling of customer baggage, etc.
Even as smart airports advance, we will continue to handle your baggage with the utmost care and skill.
"First, after customers check in their baggage, it is placed on a conveyor belt. A machine automatically identifies the information on the tag and automatically sorts the baggage by destination area. Once the baggage is taken to a baggage sorting area, called a sorting area, we load it into the containers for each flight."
Kimura Yusuke of JAL Ground Services, who handles customer baggage, explains. Starting at Haneda Airport, baggage check-in at counters is gradually becoming more automated. JAL's proud system, called Self Baggage Drop (SBO), carefully and quickly carries checked baggage without putting strain on it, such as tipping it over. However, the task of loading the baggage into containers to be loaded into the cargo hold is still done by hand.
"If you load backpacks, handbags, and strollers first, they will be crushed by the weight of the luggage on top. So you load hard suitcases and trunks first, and then soft and light items. My senior told me to 'think of it as a puzzle.'"
Storing heavy and hard items at the top, then fragile and soft items at the top. By storing items without any gaps, they can be packed efficiently and there is less chance of the items falling apart due to vibrations, which reduces the stress on your baggage.
"We also load luggage in a position where the handles are easy to grab so that our colleagues at the destination can easily unload it, and we face the luggage towards the entrance so that the tags can be easily checked. We also cover each piece of luggage when it rains so that it doesn't get wet. However, our most important priority is to ensure safety and to arrive on time."
As you can see, this is a job that requires skill and physical strength in addition to care and caution.
The introduction of powered wear has reduced the load and made things even more efficient.
"I used to play sports, so I thought I would have strong muscles, but I had constant muscle pain for the first week or two after joining the company. When flying to big cities like Sapporo or Fukuoka, we have to carry a lot of baggage, and sometimes we have to load it into multiple containers. At first I was exhausted, but I gradually got the hang of it by learning from my seniors."
JAL has been using powered clothing for this series of processes since 2019. This is a measure to reduce the burden on staff and make loading and unloading work faster. Worn along the back and waist, it accurately traces the wearer's movements, and the electrically assisted garment reduces strain on the waist, knees, etc.
"This job puts a lot of strain on the back and knees. If I bend forward there's a risk of straining my back, so I try to keep my upper body as vertical as possible and use bending and stretching exercises to load and unload luggage, but wearing powered wear has helped to reduce the strain considerably."
This has increased work efficiency during busy periods and improved the working environment. In addition, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, baggage handling processes have changed dramatically over the past year, with workers maintaining social distance from each other, wearing masks, washing their hands, and so on.
We provide thoughtful, intangible services to ensure our customers are happy to fly with JAL.
Now, the cargo loaded into the containers is towed by a towing tractor, one by one, to the aircraft at the parking lot. The containers are then loaded onto a high-lift loader and sucked into the cargo bay of the aircraft. Here too, the work is carried out quickly and carefully, using both machines and human hands.
"I don't usually have the opportunity to interact directly with customers, but I once had a very happy experience. When I was on a private flight, I overheard a customer sitting by the window say, 'My baggage was handled very carefully. I'm glad I flew with JAL.'"
The aircraft handled by Kimura soon headed for the runway with all the passengers on board. After a short flight, at the destination, the local ground handling staff will bring high-lift loaders and belt loaders to the aircraft before the passengers disembark, and the unloading process will begin promptly. The checked baggage is also a part of our valued passengers. It is a part of an unknown journey that unfolds day and night, out of sight of the passengers, for every flight. When you board a plane, why not take a moment to think about the journey your checked baggage is currently on.
We'll take you behind the scenes of JAL's work, including inside stories on the introduction of the A350 and the development of in-flight meal menus.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
