As airline passenger numbers continue to increase around the world, airports are making sound investments in apps to assist passengers with self-service and automated solutions to make the processes of check-in, security and baggage handling easier. Airports are realising that these investments are already paying off in increased passenger experience and in the increased efficiency for the airport operator.

Common-use check-in and bag drop desks have been operating in global airports successfully, and with an estimated 80% of passengers now checking-in online using smart devices and their desktops, the introduction of apps has further streamlined the entire process of checking-in. Airports are also able to provide additional travel information to passengers via these innovative applications, which is another way travellers are gaining even greater control of their journey, increasing passenger satisfaction significantly.

Large airport services providers, such as Rockwell Collins, deliver technological advancements that enable airport operators to achieve greater efficiency across the airport environment, with solutions such as automated check-in kiosks, bag drop facilities and more common-use applications that can be accessed directly from smart devices. The addition of ARINC ExpressDrop has given airports the opportunity to address off-site baggage handling, further adding to efficiency, and helping to reduce waiting and queueing times.

As air travel continues to increase by an average of 5% every year, self-service passenger processing innovations seem an obvious path for airport operators to take.