Rockwell Collins has been revealing some of its recent business successes and upcoming technology at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam.
London Luton Airport has implemented the firm’s T-Series ‘touchless’ bag drop, the first such installation in the UK.
Passengers use their reference number to print a boarding card, weigh their bag and print a tag. The luggage is then taken to the self-service kiosk and automatically dispatched. The system is a touchless bag drop because it detects that the tag is attached, that the weight is correct, and dispatches the bag without needing someone to even press a button.
The kiosks are also fitted with audio prompts for visually impaired passengers.
Meanwhile, Rockwell Collins’ M-Series Plus self-service bag drop units have been installed at Napoli International Airport in Italy.
Customers can weigh and tag their bags as part of a single-step process at units mounted to existing desks and belts. The new system is also linked to the security doors that automatically open and close to process the dispatched bags.
The M-Series Plus provides customers with enhanced functionality including a 15in touchscreen, PCI-compliant chip and pin reader, passport and ID scanner, barcode scanner, bag tag printers and multi-use printer as part of its standard offering.
The system is being used by EasyJet at the airport and additional airlines are scheduled to join as the installation rolls out.
Alessandro Fidato, infrastructure development and flight operations director at Napoli, commented, “We are continuously investing to improve the passenger experience at the airport by focusing on technological innovation to reduce waiting times, improve safety and improve punctuality.”
Ottawa International Airport in Canada has also joined forces with Rockwell Collins’ solutions by installing ARINC cMUSE, its next-generation cloud-native common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS).
Ottawa is the first airport to implement the new platform, which is designed to provide an affordable and flexible check-in system for airports.
The ARINC cMUSE platform provides airports with key benefits including simplified support, faster and more affordable deployment of updates, and the flexibility to manage ongoing airport operations, such as accommodating seasonal airlines or adding more check-in desks for irregular operations.
At the Passenger Terminal Expo, which is running from March 14-16, Rockwell Collins also revealed it has integrated facial recognition into its self-bag-drop solutions.
The passenger’s face is captured by a biometric camera and linked to his or her passport and boarding pass. Once complete, passengers can place their bag on to the belt to be weighed before it is accepted by the baggage handling system.
Tony Chapman, senior director for product management and strategic programs for Rockwell Collins, said, “Our solution replaces a time consuming, manual process with a more secure, seamless one, speeding up the passenger’s journey through the airport.
“Rockwell Collins is aligned with IATA’s One ID vision of allowing passengers to assert their identity just once, eliminating repetitive ID checks at security, border control and the gate.”
The solution is currently in beta testing and is being demonstrated on Stand 3030 at this week’s Passenger Terminal Expo 2017 in Amsterdam.