SPECIAL REPORT: IT As technology starts to accelerate at a rapid rate and with the sheer
volume of passengers utilising the various ways to check-in, airports have also taken measures to ensure that security has not been compromised. Essentially, as more travellers produce their boarding passes via their
mobile phones or printing them remotely, airports have become even more vulnerable to many threats. For instance, fake boarding passes can be easily fabricated to look like a genuine document. Therefore, it is vital that thorough checks need to be made at the boarding and check-in premises to ensure that no dangerous personnel have boarded any aircraft. IATA has foreseen this issue and recommends the use of today’s
technology that can concurrently automate document checks and at the same time detect any suspicious characters. In light of this, the development and deployment of technologies that can
help to process and validate passenger information with the 2D barcode information in real time has become a critical element. Moreover, with offsite or remote check-in becoming a commodity,
2D BCBPs need to be a verifiable document at any location. This will simplify the check-in process, which will be beneficial to passengers, airlines and airports. One example of an airport that utilises such a solution is Singapore
Changi in collaboration with Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. Both parties are aware that there is a need to implement a technology that can help instantly identify fraudulent 2D BCBPs, and have recently launched a solution to do so. Airports across the globe are slowly starting to utilise technology in
the enhancement of passenger experience by adapting to new trends in travellers’ lifestyle. More airports are also starting to work together with technological
partners in implementing solutions that not only reduces hardware and support requirements but also provides cost savings to the airport. This can be depicted by the recent upgrade of the check-in systems
Passengers in Hong Kong, for example, are able to check-in luggage
at Hong Kong and Kowloon train stations upto 24 hours before their flights depart. This option not only provides travellers more time for shopping, sight-seeing or business matters but also saves them the hassle of rushing back to the hotel to pick up their luggage before heading to the airport. As mentioned, the increasing adoption of next generation smartphones
has also opened up many applications that airports can take advantage of. Barcoded mobile phone check-in is another method that airlines and airports are starting to deploy. This is strengthened with the growing encouragement from IATA’s Fast Travel Initiative – a series of six projects that aims to provide passengers with more control over their journeys and help airlines and airports in cost savings via automation. One of the projects under the IATA Fast Travel Initiative programme is to
promote the implementation of 2D barcode boarding passes (BCBPs) amongst travellers and airlines. 2D BCBPs enables airlines to provide passengers with the flexibility of obtaining boarding passes using different forms of technologies. And with 2D BCBPs, travellers can now print boarding passes at home or have it sent to their mobile phone. As of August 2010, 89% of boarding passes are now BCBP capable. IATA aims to achieve 100% BCBP capability by year-end.
to common-use technology at Seoul’s City Airport Logis Terminal (CALT). CALT has been providing convenient off-airport check-in, ticketing, baggage drop, immigration services, and limousine connections for passengers in the city before proceeding to Incheon and Gimpo airports for departure. With this technology, CALT is able to serve multiple airlines in one
economical common-use system, without the costly re-engineering of departure control software normally required. The new common-use systems help CALT to simplify the check-in procedures for more passengers, saves terminal space and boost operational efficiency. Based on the recent findings of the Airline IT Trends Survey 2010, airlines
are shifting passengers to a multi-channel platform from the traditional manner of check-in facilities. Web check-in is forecasted to reach 35.5% from today’s figure of 21.6% by 2013, while mobile check-in capability is expected to hit 70% from 28% in the same year. This translates that remote self-service check-in systems will be
dominating the way people travel, ushering in a new era for both airport operations and passengers. While it is important to make way for the influx of off site self service
check-in locations, it is also crucial not to neglect certain stages in passengers’ travel experience. Passengers using self service check-in systems, for example, should also
be given the option to drop their baggage at these self service locations and not have to queue at airport check-in counters to check-in any luggage. Apart from a common-bag drop solution, digitised methods should be created to improve remote check-in sites for large groups of passengers or
AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010 61
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