Sheremetyevo International Airport, the busiest aviation hub in Russia, has taken another big leap in its technology sovereignty effort by outsourcing the administration of inter-terminal transfer baggage transportation to software developed by the Russian IT company Reksoft. The move is an important substitute for foreign-made airport logistics software and is one of the most ambitious airport digital modernization projects presently underway in Russia.
The new system now oversees the flow of transfer cargo between the northern terminal complex of Sheremetyevo, which comprises Terminals B and C, and the southern complex, which comprises Terminals D, E, and F, as per the information published by the Russian business daily Vedomosti. The project is a component of a more extensive initiative to decrease dependence on imported technologies and establish a unified domestic platform that can manage one of the most advanced baggage handling networks in Europe.
Replacing a Complex Foreign Ecosystem
Systems supplied by Germany’s Beumer Group were responsible for managing baggage operations in this section of the airport before the transition. Sheremetyevo’s baggage infrastructure has also integrated technologies from the Alstef Group, a Canadian company, Vanderlande, a Dutch manufacturer, and RESA, a French firm, over the years.
The outcome was a technological environment that was highly capable but fragmented, consisting of numerous software and hardware platforms that were developed by various vendors. As per airport officials, the new Reksoft solution replaces five different systems that were developed by three foreign manufacturers, thereby integrating them into a single Russian platform.
Industry observers have noted that integration projects of this nature are considerably more difficult than software development from the ground up. This is due to the fact that new systems must communicate seamlessly with existing conveyors, sorters, scanners, storage systems, and flight management platforms that were developed using foreign architectures.
The 2-Kilometer Underground Baggage Highway
The underground transport corridor that connects the northern and southern terminal complexes of Sheremetyevo is one of the most remarkable features of the airport’s baggage infrastructure.
The tunnel, which is located beneath an active runway, is approximately two kilometers in length and is the foundation of baggage transfer operations. This underground network facilitates the transfer of thousands of bags belonging to connecting passengers on a daily basis, enabling travelers to transition between domestic and international flights without the need to retrieve their baggage.
The system has the capacity to handle a maximum of 20,000 pieces of bags per day. The tunnel’s average transit duration is approximately seven minutes, which allows for rapid transfers even during peak operating hours. The baggage complex comprises approximately 29 kilometers of conveyor systems, many automated sorting facilities, and transient storage warehouses that are capable of accommodating significant fluctuations in passenger traffic. The inter-terminal baggage system at Sheremetyevo was initially designed to facilitate the airport’s function as the principal hub of Aeroflot, which is heavily reliant on the connectivity of passengers traveling between Russian regions and international destinations.
The Functions of the New Russian Platform
The latest software suite outperforms the confines of rudimentary conveyor administration. It comprises multiple modules that are interconnected and responsible for processing baggage at various phases.
Industrial-controller-based baggage management systems supervise conveyor movements and equipment operation in real time at the operational level. The routing of each bag is determined by sorting management software, which takes into account the requirements of the destination, flight schedules, and transfer times.
The platform also includes dispatching systems that enable operators to maintain centralized control over airport cargo operations. The exchange of information between baggage equipment, airline systems, flight databases, and airport operational services is facilitated by a dedicated airport messaging vehicle.
The baggage reconciliation system is an additional critical component that ensures that the checked cargo is in accordance with the passengers who have disembarked their flights. These systems are becoming increasingly crucial for the purpose of complying with international baggage tracking standards and satisfying the security requirements of contemporary aviation. In recent years, Sheremetyevo has been steadily enhancing these capabilities as part of broader airport digitalization initiatives.
Intelligent Sorting and Real-Time Control
Baggage management typically necessitates two separate tiers of software, according to industry professionals who specialize in airport automation.
The first layer is responsible for the real-time control of physical equipment. This comprises conveyors, diverters, scanners, elevators, storage units, and sorting devices. Immediate operational disruptions may result from any delay or malfunction at this level.
The planning and optimization engine is implemented by the second layer. It conducts a continuous analysis of flight schedules, transfer periods, baggage volumes, and equipment availability to ascertain the optimal route for luggage through the airport.
Sheremetyevo intends to improve reliability and decrease its reliance on foreign vendors for technical support, enhancements, and maintenance by consolidating both functions into a single Russian-developed platform.
Transition Underway Across All Terminals
To prevent airport operations from being disrupted, the migration to the new platform is being implemented in stages.
Three of the five passenger terminals at Sheremetyevo have already been converted to the new software, according to the most recent reports. As testing and integration activities continue, it is expected that the remaining terminals will follow.
The baggage infrastructure of the airport will be administered through a unified Russian information system upon the project’s completion. The platform has been particularly engineered to integrate not only Reksoft-developed software but also equipment and technologies from other manufacturers that are already installed throughout the airport, according to senior executives at Reksoft.
This interoperability is deemed essential due to the economic impracticality and operational disruption of replacing each conveyor, sorter, and scanner.
Growing Market for Russian Airport Technologies
According to industry experts, the cost of large-scale airport automation initiatives of this nature can range from 350 million to 700 million rubles, which includes research and development, software creation, integration, testing, certification, and commissioning.
Reksoft has achieved success in airport import substitution on multiple levels, including the Sheremetyevo project. The company successfully executed the migration of baggage handling control equipment at Terminal D to its software platform in 2024. Additionally, Reksoft solutions are implemented at the airport to facilitate the transmission of information among operational services, airlines, and other airport stakeholders.
The most recent deployment indicates that Russian software developers are progressively transitioning from traditional enterprise IT to highly specialized industrial sectors, including airport logistics, transportation automation, and mission-critical infrastructure management.
The transition for Sheremetyevo is not simply a software upgrade. It is a strategic endeavor to establish a fully integrated domestic technology ecosystem that is capable of sustaining one of Europe’s largest and most complex airport baggage networks, while simultaneously reducing dependence on foreign suppliers in an era of increased technological self-sufficiency.