Leonardo selected to upgrade logistics at 10 Spanish airports, reinforcing its leading position in the baggage-handling sector

Rome  05 October 2021 12:32

  • Aena, the world's leading airport operator by number of passengers, has chosen Leonardo to upgrade the baggage handling systems at 10 Spanish airports
  • Leonardo won all three lots in Aena’s recent public tender for a combined value of around 35 million euros. The award reinforces Leonardo’s position as one of the main European companies in the automation sector


Following a public tender, Leonardo has been selected to upgrade the baggage-handling systems at 10 Spanish airports, ensuring the systems meet the latest security standards. The company was awarded all three lots covering airports across mainland Spain and the Canary Islands: La Palma, Santiago-Rosalía de Castro, Valencia, Asturias, Bilbao, Jerez, Reus, Lanzarote, Internacional Región de Murcia and Sevilla, with the combined contracts worth in excess of 35 million euros. Leonardo will deliver the upgrades in consortium with the Spanish construction company Cemosa. 

The tenders were issued by state-owned Spanish airport operator Aena, which manages 46 airports and two heliports in Spain and has shares in 23 additional airports in Europe and the Americas. Aena is the world's number one operator in this sector in terms of passenger traffic, with over 275 million travellers passing through Spanish airports in 2019.

The project includes the replacement of baggage transport components, electromechanical, control, supervision and management equipment for baggage sorting. Baggage handling systems will also be equipped with European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Standard 3-approved security technology, including X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) scanners. Leonardo’s partner Cemosa will take responsibility for civil works and updates to auxiliary systems.

The 10 airports will be upgraded simultaneously and work will last for less than two years. Leonardo is guaranteeing the continued operation of baggage management services throughout the duration of the upgrade work and has carried out complex planning and coordination activities with its supply chain to ensure continuity. 

The selection of Leonardo reinforces the company’s position as a market leader in baggage handling, having worked on European airports including Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Bergamo, Zurich, Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris Orly as well as airports in the Middle East and Asia Pacific including Kuwait International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.