March 24 marked another huge milestone for Southwest Airlines! Since our inception almost 38 years ago, loading baggage into the bins of our aircraft has been completely manual. Our Ramp Agents determined the total amount of freight and baggage to be transported on the flight, and from that information, they would “plan” the distribution of the cargo between the two aircraft bins (located in the front and aft of the aircraft) based on weight and destination.
But no more! This week we successfully launched our Load Planning System (LPS), which is a preplanning tool that automates aircraft loading. It was developed to improve our current baggage loading process and to make best use of bin space, with an ultimate goal of improving operational and fuel efficiency.
The LPS system considers all the accepted baggage and freight, number of Customers traveling, and the amount of fuel loaded on the aircraft. From that information, LPS calculates the best way to efficiently load the aircraft.
Once calculated, the Operations Agent will review and approve the plan, and then print it for the Ramp Agent. From that point, the Ramp Agent will be responsible for ensuring the baggage and freight are loaded according to the plan.
Being efficient, saving money, and improving our processes is always important, but in today’s current economic environment, it is essential. So next time you look out the window and watch baggage being loaded onto the aircraft, you’ll know there’s a plan for each piece!
