Collaboration 
The introduction of the Taxibot into the operation is a collaboration between Schiphol and KLM, LVNL, Transavia, TUI, Swissport, EasyJet and handlers Menzies, VIGGO, dnata and KLM Ground Services. Initially, the project will focus on the narrowbody fleet: first the Boeing 737, later also the new A321neo and the Embraer.

Expansion 
KLM aims to expand taxiing with a Taxibot at Schiphol in the coming years. To achieve this, major, drastic changes to infrastructure, processes and technology are required. It is also important to determine through trials how the Taxibot can be integrated into daily operations and all pilots must be trained to operate the Taxibot.

The study aims to help the aviation industry make the work in baggage handling halls lighter, for instance. In addition to the already planned actions to install lifting aids everywhere in the short term, the parties want to investigate how digital innovation can support physical work activities. 

In the coming months, five researchers, supervised by Professor David Abbink (Professor of Haptic Human-Robot Interaction and Scientific Director of FRAIM), will conduct research in the baggage handling halls. Together with the baggage handlers, they will shape the future of this type of work. Even with the application of digital innovations, the future of this work will still revolve around the balance between humans and machines. The baggage handlers therefore have an essential role to play: their observations, wishes and experiences hold sway. 

“We need to learn from the experts in the workplace what is important to them in their work and what they would like to see done differently”, says Professor Abbink. “The members of our research team have different backgrounds, which enables us to try to expose each other’s blind spots, so that we can learn more together than we would individually. That is essential to be able to explore different possible solutions with and for the experts: technical, social or organisational.”

Harm Josephi, Vice President of Baggage Services at KLM adds: “KLM and Schiphol have long been leading the way all over the world in terms of reducing physical strain in baggage handling. But there’s always room for improvement. By working together with Schiphol and Delft University of Technology, we are taking new steps to make working in baggage areas physically less demanding. This collaboration will facilitate improvements that can eventually be implemented at airports around the world. That’s something we can be proud of in the Netherlands.”

“Every workplace in the baggage handling hall will have a properly functioning lifting aid by April 2024, which must be used by all employees. At the same time, we are also working on the next step for the period after this: automation of physical work. Even in an automated baggage handling hall, employees will still have an important role. We are shaping the future of work and how the role of people will change in it. The study will help us shape that together with employees”, according to Dennis van Kleef, who is responsible for baggage at Royal Schiphol Group.

Broad perspectives
The researchers from various universities who are coming together in TU Delft FRAIM have diverse backgrounds in design, psychology, organisational change, robotics and logistics. This broad perspective allows them to assess the impact of technical innovations early, accelerated by innovation expertise from TU Delft's field lab RoboHouse. The fact that this research is not done in a lab, but rather in the baggage halls with the people who work there, ensures crucial cooperation between baggage workers and researchers, and therefore realistic, actionable outcomes. Schiphol, KLM and TU Delft believe that this approach will really move things forward.

The study will have been successful when a new way of working is developed together with baggage hall employees. If all goes well, the collaboration will become a long-term partnership to make this groundbreaking way of working a reality.

The study being done by TU Delft is part of the plan that all parties involved in baggage handling at Schiphol have presented to lighten the work in the baggage halls. The parties involved will be following through with these plans. Future renovations of the existing baggage halls will be developed using the knowledge and results from the research.

FNV and CNV consider the proposal a negotiation result and will be presenting it to their respective membership bases. De Unie, NVLT and VKP have indicated that they consider KLM’s proposal as its final proposal. This means these unions will inform us if they consider it a negotiation result. KLM hopes that this will soon lead to an agreement with all five ground unions.

The final proposal includes a wage increase effective 1 September 2023 of an amount of €135 gross per month and, effective 1 October 2023, a wage increase of 6%. There will also be a one-off payment of €500 in January 2024. In July 2024, a further increase of 3% will follow and in January 2025, depending on inflation trends, an increase of between 0% and 2%. Bolstered by these wage increases, the minimum wage for KLM Ground Personnel will increase to a level of above €16 an hour during the agreement’s term from 2 March 2023 through 28 February 2025.

KLM will also take further measures to prevent employees from becoming overloaded and will be reintroducing the temporary part-time pre-retirement scheme (also known as the “80-90-100 scheme”). This will enable those employees carrying out the most physically taxing work to retire earlier. The bridging allowance will also make it easier to switch to less physically demanding work.

‘By using 100% BioDiesel in our vehicles we are injecting a powerful impetus in the advancement of sustainable enterprise at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. We have formulated the ambition of running a CO2-neutral operation by 2012, and investment in sustainable mobility is one way in which we will achieve this’, explains Ad Rutten, Executive Vice President & COO of Schiphol Group.

Over the next four months, some 40 airport vehicles will be running on 100% BioDiesel. These include tractors and catering, bird control, lease and delivery vans. If the pilot proves a success within those four months, additional vehicles will be switched over to BioDiesel.

SkyNRG
SkyNRG is a Dutch company established by KLM, the North Sea Group and Spring Associates with the mission of achieving greater sustainability in aviation through the use of fuels that are both sustainable and economical. In pursuing that mission, SkyNRG relies on a range of raw materials and technologies.