Australia’s Melbourne Airport has conducted trials of self-service boarding technology with global IT provider SITA in a bid to improve passenger services.
SITA has deployed self-service check-in kiosks and automated baggage drop systems across the airport.
Self-boarding gates will be installed to enhance passenger services and reduce costs for airlines.
The deployment is part of International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Fast Travel programme, which aims to save up to $2bn in costs every year.
For the last three months, SITA has worked with Melbourne Airport to evaluate the potential improvements that can be provided by the self-boarding gates.
SITA Asia Pacific president Ilya Gutlin said: "SITA is committed to our technology partnership with Melbourne Airport which allows us to explore the potential benefits of services and plan the ideal solution implementation with the airport team.
"Moving forward, we are exploring how technology and innovative services can further improve the passenger experience and operations at Melbourne Airport."
A self-boarding gate has been installed in the airport’s Terminal Two International, which allows travellers to simply scan their boarding pass to enter aircraft.
The final results of the trial will be analysed by teams from SITA and Melbourne Airport, which handles 30 international airlines and more than 32 million passengers annually.
The number of passengers at the airport is expected to increase to 60 million by 2030.
Image: The self-boarding gate at Melbourne Airport will enable passengers to simply scan their boarding pass before boarding their flight. Photo: courtesy of SITA.
