Melbourne Airport has flicked the switch on a new $500 million baggage system designed to eliminate the stress of lost luggage.
Bags will now be tracked from the moment passengers drop them off, with 7NEWS invited behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the technology.
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When travellers drop their bags, they’re scanned by multiple cameras and matched to their tote, which contains an RFID tracker.
The luggage is then tracked through a new 3.5km network of conveyor belts with 99.5 per cent accuracy.
“It’s a really great milestone to be the first to do this,” Aaron Carmichael from Melbourne Airport said.
For the unlucky 0.5 per cent of bags that go astray, the system can still track them.
Those bags are automatically sent to a sorting room where operators can turn them around quickly.
Capacity has doubled under the new system, with 4000 bags now processed every hour, one every second during peak seasons.
The upgrade future-proofs the international terminal with passenger numbers expected to increase from 38 million per year to 75 million over the next 20 years.
New screening machines have also been introduced, with the technology likened to an MRI.
“It’s light years ahead and it’s a really great advancement for us here to provide a greater level of aviation security,” Carmichael said.
From next year, passengers will be able to drop their bags up to 18 hours before their flight, with luggage sent to automated storage.
The upgrades are part of a broader expansion plan for Tullamarine, with some passengers also noticing changes to drop-off and pick-up zones next week for Qantas, Virgin and international flights.