Aimed at improving the passenger experience and the service quality, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has introduced self-baggage drop facility at the domestic terminal (T1).
According to a press release, the facility will enable the passengers to drop their check-in bags on the conveyors themselves without airline personnel assistance. As most airlines have started incorporating this facility with their check-in systems, 95 per cent of the outbound passengers in the domestic sector can now avail this facility.
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The passengers can take the boarding pass printout and bag tag printout from the common use self-service (CUSS) kiosks. CIAL already has 10 CUSS kiosks positioned at terminal gates. After reaching the bag tag, the passengers can proceed to the self-bag drop facility and drop their bags. CIAL has installed four self-bag drop systems at check-in counters. The system is integrated with CIAL’s baggage handling system.
The machines were imported from Canada. The same model has been implemented at Incheon Airport, South Korea.
‘DigiYatra’ initiative
S. Suhas IAS, Managing Director, CIAL, has said that Cochin Airport is committed to providing its passengers with a world-class travel experience and enhancing operational efficiency. The director board has launched an infrastructure enhancement plan aligned with the robust traffic growth estimated for the Indian aviation sector. These comprehensive development plans will position CIAL at the forefront of the aviation industry, he said.
In addition to the self-baggage drop facility, CIAL has also introduced the DigiYatra initiative, which enables passengers to travel paperless. The DigiYatra system uses biometric authentication to verify the identity of the passengers at the entry, security and boarding gates.
Taking it forward, the airport operator has started a project to integrate the facial recognition technology of DigiYatra into the self-bag drop system, so that, soon, passengers can use it without taking a boarding pass, he added.