Case study

Denver Airport Baggage System

New technology with no fallback

What happened

The automated baggage system at the new Denver airport had serious mechanical and software problems in 1994 and hadn’t passed certification tests. Bags were misloaded, misrouted or fell from telecarts. The airport began installing a conventional backup, estimated at about $51 million.

Why it matters

A critical, unproven technology sat at the heart of the opening date, and a backup came late.

Lessons

• Test unproven technology early.
• Plan a fallback for anything that can stop go-live.

Tools for this

• Risk Response Strategies
• Stage Gates

Sources

• GAO, Impact of the Delayed Baggage System, RCED-95-35BR (1994)

Last reviewed 2026-11-02. “Why it matters” is our reading of the sources.

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