150 Brand New and Sturdier Trolleys COMMISSIONING OF 150 BRAND NEW AND STURDIER TROLLEYS FOR PASSENGER USE AT THE FREETOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Freetown International Airport has on Friday 3rd June commissioned one hundred and fifty brand new trolleys. The upgrade of its free passenger baggage trolley service gave a replacement of about two hundred old trolleys which have become inefficient and worn out, having served for more than three years.
The new trolleys are a 100% management investment and branded with the SLAA Logo. Trolley service is amongst the first service a flyer needs at an airport. They connect to the gold level infrastructure of baggage systems which is critical to the day to day running of airport operations. International passengers get more luggage and proceeding with them for baggage scanning and check in makes trolleys an essential part of both the arrival and departure process. There reduction can cause significant discomfort and delays to passengers and airlines.
As with some Airports during the pandemic, Trolley trouble gripped the Freetown International Airport; Longer waiting times in fulfilling COVID 19 requirements got passengers staying with one or two trolleys for more than 40 minutes. Before the pandemic, the airport was handling a little over five hundred passengers per day and schedule of international traffic spread in between 5pm to 3am. Four out of five passengers at the Freetown International Airport will require a trolley.
The General Manager of the Sierra Leone Airports Authority, Mr. Jack Massaqoui, during the Commissioning ceremony, said that the new trolleys will be immediately stationed and can definitely improve passenger experiences. The brand new trolleys will be added to the existing good ones to ensure adequate trolleys are available for passenger use at all times particularly during peak operational periods.
"With this new fleet there are twice the number of more trolleys now apportioned, adequate time for collection and stacking at the baggage reclaim hall for Arrivals and at entry points for departures and will only be used for the intended purpose”
The new trolleys are maneuverable, more spacious, and easy to use, the luggage platform in the old trolleys was low but these new ones have the right height, big space above for hand luggage and came with hand brakes. The hand brakes guard against sliding or baggage toppling over.
The big advantage of the new trolleys is that it will ensure there are no shortage when passenger volume increases for the holiday peak. The Airport terminal Building Managers and land side wardens staff can constantly monitor and manage it, ensuring one of Freetown International Airport’s important pieces of infrastructure is always in supply and working effectively.
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