Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
The flight was normal until we had almost reached our gate in Chicago. We were parking [Gate]; and we were taxiing clockwise on Taxiway A. We were passing A12; A11; A10; and then right before we reached A9; a baggage cart driver with 4 baggage carts in tow drove out right in front of us; from a service road on the left hand side of the aircraft. They cut in front of us maybe 15 feet in front of the aircraft. We had to slam on the brakes in order to not hit them. We saw them as they were leaving the road; and if we had not taken action it would have been an accident. This happened right at XA:05. The baggage cart driver drove west to east; up the XX gates; and then turned up and followed alongside Taxilane B up the XY gates going north; until I couldn't follow them anymore. Obviously this was a major safety hazard. Both the Captain and myself said it was the closest we had ever come to hitting anything on the ground.
Air carrier First Officer reporter that during taxi to the gate a baggage cart drove directly in front of them requiring the crew to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.