Passengers flying with easyJet from Bristol Airport at the moment, are enjoying the new self-service bag drop kiosks on trial for the summer.

Twelve kiosks and four bag drop stations have been installed during the last month at the easyJet area of the airport, with airport personnel on hand to give assistance during the trial.

Phil Holder, Bristol Airport’s Head of Operations Support, is pleased to see that the trial is already making positive inroads into increasing efficiency and said, ‘The trial is already speeding up the process for passengers and the initial feedback has been very positive. We are always looking for ways to improve the passenger experience and this trial is an example of how the latest technology can enhance the airport journey.’

The kiosks have been supplied by Rockwell Collins’ ARINC airports, and form a part of an initiative to improve passenger experience and increase efficiency within the airport. Passengers will scan their boarding passes to initiate baggage weigh facilities, before attaching printed bag tags, and proceeding to the bag drop desks.

EasyJet’s UK Country Manager, Ali Gayward said, ‘We recognise that our customers’ airport experience is a hugely important part of their overall journey and so we are delighted to be part of Bristol Airport’s self-service bag drop trial. As we approach the summer, our busiest time of the year, we want our customers to have a seamless journey through the airport, enabling their summer holidays to get off to the best of starts.’

Paul Hickox, Head of Airport Systems Sales at Rockwell Collins recognises that airport experience for passengers is high on the list of requirements for a growing number of airports, regardless of size. He said, ‘There is no ‘one-size fits all’ bag-drop solution because different airlines have different passenger processing models. We were able to create the best solution for Bristol Airport because of our deep understanding of airports and bag drop technology. We look forward to seeing the new self-bag drop solution from Rockwell Collins have a positive impact for passengers as it has done in all other deployments in recent months.’

Bristol Airport passengers travelling with easyJet this summer will be greeted at the arrivals area by members of staff, who will first verify travellers with airline lists, before guiding them to the new self-bag drop kiosks.