Auckland Airport to have new check-in and bag drop off technology installed

Credit: Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport (AKL) announced on 11 September, 2024, it will upgrade its international terminal, with smarter check-in technology to be installed by New Zealand’s summer period. Around 100 existing check-in counters will be replaced with self-service kiosks and bag drops over the next few years in a staged approach. Auckland Airport Chief Customer Officer, Scott Tasker, said: “As New Zealand’s main gateway, our airport needs to be fit for the future of travel, delivering the uplift in experience travellers are asking for. It will also be the future home of check-in for domestic jet travellers, when they shift across to the new terminal.”  

What will the upgraded check-in and bag drops bring?

The new technology will bring a real change in the departure experience for international travellers, allowing travellers to check-in at a kiosk, print their own luggage tags, and then use an automated bag drop – cutting waiting time at check-in. 

It will bring control and certainty over the check-in experience for travellers, with a faster process. Assistance, however, will still be available for those who need it. This should create a seamless passage for passengers and enhance their enjoyment of travelling through the airport.

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When complete, the new self-service kiosks and bag drops will be available to all travellers no matter what airline they’re on, meaning multiple airlines can be checking in from the same kiosks at the same time, creating additional capacity and efficiency within the check-in hall. The baggage system allows also for all day check-in, faster connection times, fewer bag jams and a more energy-efficient system.

“We’ve been operating with a mix of kiosks and check-in desks for many years at both the international and domestic terminal. When the new domestic jet hub opens at the end of the decade, regardless of whether you’re flying to Wellington or Doha you’ll be using a kiosk and bag drop,” said Mr Tasker.

Why are they bringing in upgraded check-in and bag drops bring?

Making check-in a quicker and smoother experience for travellers is a big area of development for airports globally.

“Around the world self-service options are becoming increasingly commonplace in airports. That creates opportunities for further layers of innovation to allow for smoother running of the whole airport ecosystem,” Mr Tasker said.