Kiosks to speed up boarding

SIXTEEN self-serve kiosks and eight bag drop machines will be installed at Avalon Airport as it continues its bid to lure passengers away from Melbourne Airport.

Driven by airline and passenger demand, Avalon Airport will substitute manual checkin desks to improve efficiency and increase terminal capacity.

Airport chief executive Justin Giddings said the technology would enhance the experiences of travellers.

“We are focused on automation and technical innovation to offer airlines and their passengers a fast, seamless and relaxed journey through the airport,” Mr Giddings said.

The addition of automated technology comes after the Linfox-owned Avalon Airport slashed its parking fees by 25 per cent for the next two months.

Avalon’s self-serve kiosks and bag drop machines will be provided by Elenium and will include Flight Deck software that will allow Avalon’s operations team to have an overview of events across all self-serve kiosks and bag drop points.

The kiosks will also be able to be used for regular checkins assisted by airline staff due to a retractable keyboard.

The automatic bag drop machines use cameras that automatically zoom and focus to find a bag’s barcode.

Elenium Automation chief executive Aaron Hornlimann, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Avalon Airport and demonstrating that significant efficiency and passenger experience gains can be achieved in airports of all sizes.”

In the past four years Elenium has grown to have than 700 check-in kiosks at 30 airlines across 13 airports globally, including Hong Kong, Auckland, Bangalore and Sydney.

Avalon operates passenger flights for Jetstar, AirAsia and Citilink, an arm of Garuda.