ARINC has announced that it has taken over the support and maintenance of 48 common-use self-service (CUSS) kiosks used by international airlines at London Gatwick Airport.

ARINC was contracted for the work in late 2010 after Gatwick Airport requested a proposal for support services for their existing kiosk estate. ARINC’s offer included a new software platform to improve operation of the kiosks and a full maintenance and support package to ensure ongoing operational effectiveness.

ARINC fast-tracked the installation. Beginning in late 2010 it took over the existing kiosk hardware and installed new IBM CUSS platform software to manage the kiosks and their associated airline applications. The project was finished in just 12 weeks.

More recently, ARINC has installed and now supports an additional 30 new IBM ‘N series’ kiosks within Gatwick’s North Terminal.

"Automated passenger processing solutions are more critical than ever for airports today," stated Andy Hubbard, ARINC EMEA managing director. "Efficiently managing the diverse passenger profile of today’s travellers is key to an airport’s success, and a cost-effective and reliable CUSS system is a vital part of the solution. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to assist Gatwick Airport in delivering on their vision of streamlined passenger handling."

ARINC has become the industry leader in this area of passenger processing and with IBM has installed 60% of the CUSS kiosks at airports worldwide. ARINC also supports other CUSS kiosk installations at a number of UK airports. "IBM has worked with a large number of airlines and airports around the world for many years and is dedicated to developing smarter ways to make airport operations more efficient and cost-effective," said Stephen Luurtsema, associate partner, IBM GBS travel and transportation.