Sharjah Airport, first in UAE to introduce self-service kiosks

The Sharjah International Airport is all set to become one of the first airports in the country to offer passengers with services such as pre-selection of seats, obtaining tickets, boarding passes and dropping their baggage inside the airport, without having to wait for hours at check-in counters. The Airport aims to offer these services through Common Use Self Service Kiosks, meant to offer self check-in service for various airlines.

The Regional Director – Application Services at SITA, Jihad Boueri, the company that offers the technology for the kiosk, said that a similar project is being planned to be implemented in Abu Dhabi, once the Sharjah project is completed.

Pointing out to the service in Dubai, Jihad Boueri, said that although self check-in service is available in Dubai at Terminal-III, these are dedicated kiosks only for a particular airline, and cannot handle other airlines.
The Self-service kiosks are those that handle multiple airlines, and the technology is being implemented by SITA in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi airports. The counter check-in consumes more space, while the kiosks can process double the number of passengers per hour when compared to counters. However, people carrying baggage weight which is in excess of the acceptable limit will have to go through the counter to make payments.

Self-service kiosks will be launched by end of July, and the service will be open to any passenger traveling on any airline, heading out of Sharjah Airport, confirmed David Henderson, the General Manager-Sharjah Aviation Services.

Henderson said that the airport will have 12 kiosks in the main dome, and in the check-in hall. These will be supported by eight fast bag-drop counters, permitting passengers to drop off their baggage. Passengers can choose their seats from a seat map of their flight, when checking in using the kiosk. The service will also be available online from summer.

Obtaining a boarding pass before arriving at the airport, actually assures the passenger that the airline is legally obligated to fly for him/her, Boueri said.

Posted on 6/7/2009

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