At Passenger Terminal Expo, aviation tech company SITA has signed a partnership agreement with baggage handling company Alstef Group to launch a self-bag drop solution named Swift Drop, which has been designed to speed up baggage operations.
Felipe Ángeles International Airport in Mexico City, which opened in late March, has become the first airport to install Swift Drop – installing 20 units.
The Swift Drop interface was created to be fast and intuitive, to enable passengers to quickly check-in their bags and avoid long queues at traditional check-in points. Passengers can print their own bag tags without assistance and load their baggage directly onto the accessible conveyor. This is intended to give passengers more time to spend airside and boost airports’ retail revenues.
As part of the aviation tech company’s Smart Path passenger processing portfolio, Swift Drop comprises SITA’s TS6 kiosk and Alstef Group’s fully integrated bag processing solution. For airports and airlines, Swift Drop identifies overweight and oversized bags in seconds when the bag is on the conveyor belt. Camera tag-reading technology ensures baggage will also be processed faster, with an average first-time tag read rate of 95%.
Drew Griffiths, head of SITA at airports, said, “In airports globally our Smart Path passenger solution has delivered faster, automated passenger experiences. The partnership with Alstef Group – leveraging their significant baggage handling portfolio – enriches our end-to-end offering with a self-bag drop solution that embraces all its benefits, plus of course, it can be biometrically enabled. It is fast, convenient and reliable.”
Nicolas Breton, CEO of Alstef Group, said, “If passengers can quickly drop their bags and avoid long queues at check-in, not only does this improve their overall airport experience but they can then spend more time airside, providing a boost to airports’ retail revenues. Increasing check-in throughput by way of faster processing means fewer check-in desks are required, and the extra space can be allocated to revenue-generating facilities. Automating check-in processing also allows staff to focus on enhancing customer service rather than processing passengers. With so many benefits to check-in automation, Alstef Group and air transport industry provider SITA have combined their expertise to develop Swift Drop, an industry-leading self-service bag drop that is fast, convenient and reliable.
“Swift Drop improves the bag drop experience with a low-profile accessible conveyor belt and a configurable kiosk providing an intuitive passenger interface. Bag processing involves rapid identification of overweight and oversized bags, and Alstef Group’s advanced camera tag-reading and dimensioning technology ensures baggage is processed in seconds, with an average first-time tag read rate of 95%. The addition of SITA’s Smart Path passenger solution can deliver an even faster, biometrically enabled passenger experience. Once the passenger is biometrically enrolled online or at a kiosk, there is no need to show a passport or boarding pass at the bag drop, providing a safe and efficient, low-touch airport experience. Taking the stress out of the passenger’s journey through automation, faster processing and freeing up floor space for revenue-generating activities creates a win-win-win for airports, airlines and passengers.”
