Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 3 to cement airport’s position as a major regional hub

Johannesburg | October 16, 2017– SITA is providing its world-class passenger and baggage processing technology as well as its airport management solutions to Ghana’s new Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, helping cement the airport’s position as a vital regional hub.

Ghana’s largest airport is expanding its capacity to meet significant growth in international passenger traffic, increasing the airport’s capacity to five-million passengers a year. The country’s aviation industry has witnessed significant growth over the past decade due to the discovery of petroleum and gas reserves, sustained domestic demand and the growth of the tourism sector.

SITA, the global air transport IT provider, has worked closely with both MAPA, the construction company building the new terminal, and Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), the airport operator, to ensure that the new terminal has the most up-to-date technology to support the country’s modern airport infrastructure.

SITA already provides technology for Terminals 1 and 2 at Kotoka International Airport and will ensure that its world-class technology is fully integrated with the existing terminals from day one. This will deliver smooth passenger and baggage processing, and efficient operations across the entire airport.

SITA is deploying its latest passenger processing technology including common use check-in desks and self-service check-in kiosks, allowing the airport to maximize its capacity by enabling airlines to cost-effectively share the same infrastructure. The airport will also make use of SITA’s state of the art baggage management technology that will assist airlines in tracking bags every step of the way, helping them meet IATA’s Resolution 753 requirements from day one.

On the operational side, SITA’s Airport Management Solution will simplify planning and operational control, and facilitate collaborative decision-making, data management and analysis in Terminal 3 and across the entire airport. It will also support revenue management with its billing and reporting functionality.

Levent Uzunokur, General Manager of MNG Technical, MAPA’s parent company, said: “SITA was the obvious choice both because of its wide experience of airport technology across the world and the team’s specific knowledge of Kotoka International Airport. SITA’s ability to seamlessly integrate the new terminal into the existing airport operations is particularly important and will have a very positive impact on the success of the whole project.”

Dr Gershon Adzadi, Head of ICT at Ghana Airports Company Limited, said: “SITA has long provided its technology and know-how at Kotoka International Airport. Their understanding of our business and their leading technology solutions at airports make them an ideal partner to support us in the next chapter of our airport’s growth.”

SITA is initially contracted to MAPA during the deployment and implementation phase before handing over to GACL who will then take over the day-to-day running of the terminal.

Hani El-Assaad, SITA President, Middle East, India & Africa, said: “We are working with MAPA to transform the new facility into a working airport terminal that can process 1,250 passengers an hour. Kotoka International Airport’s new terminal will have the world-class technology it needs to support the airport’s role as a leading hub in the region.”

Kotoka International Airport supports both international and national routes for passenger and cargo aircraft. When Terminal 3 opens at the end of 2017, it will have six contact stands and two remote stands for long-range aircraft, including Airbus A380s, A330s and Boeing 777s and 787s.

Autonomous, mobile kiosks will move themselves to where they are needed in the airport

Geneva, Switzerland | May 22, 2017–  SITA Lab, which explores the future of technology in air travel, has unveiled KATE, an intelligent check-in kiosk that will autonomously move to busy or congested areas in the airport as needed, promising to relegate check-in queues to the past.

Using various data sources – including flight and passenger flow information – KATE can identify where additional check-in kiosks are required to reduce passenger queue times at check-in. KATE uses existing SITA data systems such as Day of Operations Business Intelligence and FlightInfo API.

Multiple robotic kiosks can be automatically or manually deployed simultaneously and in formation to assist passengers, providing airports and airlines greater flexibility in managing peaks in passenger flow. The kiosks can also communicate through a Cloud service to ensure that the right number of kiosks are at the right position when needed, making them highly responsive to changes in the airport. A design patent application for the kiosks is currently underway.

Renaud Irminger, Director of SITA Lab, said: “The peak and troughs in the flow of passengers presents a challenge to many airlines and airports and we have been approached by many customers requesting a solution. They want kiosks which can be easily deployed when and where they are needed. Building on SITA’s successful AirportConnect® Open platform, and our previous work with robotics, KATE leverages new technologies to provide operators much more flexibility and efficiency in the way they will use their kiosks in future.”

SITA’s cutting-edge robotic kiosk makes use of geo-location technology to find its way through the airport. KATE will use Wi-Fi to connect to vital airline and airport systems, dispensing with the need for cabling or other fixed attachments. This allows the kiosk to move around freely across the airport terminal, using obstacle avoidance technology to avoid bumping into people or things.

KATE and her fellow robotic kiosks will automatically return to their docking stations when they are low on power or need to be resupplied with boarding passes or bag tags.

One of the key benefits of SITA’s autonomous kiosk is that it can be deployed anywhere inside the airport as well as other offsite locations such as train stations. This is particularly relevant during periods of disruption – such as weather delays or flight cancellations – where additional kiosks can be moved from landside to airside to check-in large numbers of rebooked passengers. KATE provides passengers access to her easy-to-use interface to check-in and print bag tags.

KATE follows in the footsteps of LEO, SITA’s fully autonomous, self-propelling baggage robot launched at the 2016 Air Transport IT Summit in Barcelona, Spain last year.

KATE, SITA’s autonomous kiosk, will be on display at this year’s Air Transport IT Summit taking place in Brussels, Belgium from May 23-24, 2017.
Watch KATE in action in the following video clip: https://youtu.be/oQ69r-2VX-I

Larnaka International Airport, Republic of Cyprus | March 22, 2017– As part of an ongoing effort to upgrade its services, Hermes Airports announces the expansion of the auto-electronic gates system at Larnaka International Airport.

Overall, seven electronic gates are now in operation, all of them located in the departures area (check-in) serving departing passengers. It should be noted that the automatic-electronic entry gates system allows the traveling public, carrying a printed copy of the airline’s boarding pass, to proceed directly to the security check and then to the retail area and departure gates of the terminal.

The process of using this system is very simple and only requires the scanning of the boarding pass of each passenger. The system of automatic-electronic gates, can serve up to 1,800 passengers per hour, a fact which is expected to contribute significantly to the reduction of the total queuing time of the traveling public and the number of passengers that until recently had to be served at the Check-in points exclusively.

            

Adelaide | November 22, 2016– Adelaide Airport, Australia’s fastest-growing international airport, has selected SITA to provide smart new passenger and airport operational technology. The airport’s eight million passengers will enjoy new self-service bag drop and check-in kiosks, while SITA’s day of operations technology will ensure optimized airport operations.

SITA has provided technology to Adelaide Airport for more than ten years and the new five-year contract includes a move to common-use self-service (CUSS) which allows passengers to use self-service for any airline, at any check-in kiosk or bag drop point. In total SITA will provide 32 check-in kiosks and 14 bag drop units.

As part of the technology investment for the future, Adelaide Airport will use SITA’s AirportPulse. This day of operations technology includes a business intelligence portal which provides end-to-end visibility of what’s happening in the airport at strategic and operational levels. Data is pulled from all common-use infrastructure to analyze, report and benchmark passenger movements, providing a deep understanding of relevant activities and providing intelligent reporting to effectively manage the allocation of shared resources.

Vince Scanlon, Executive General Manager, Planning and Infrastructure, Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL), said: “As the gateway to South Australia, we at Adelaide Airport want to deliver exceptional outcomes to our customers, partners, shareholders and community. SITA is providing us with world-class technology that will improve the experience at the airport. Passengers will enjoy efficient bag drop and check-in while the data collected will turn information into knowledge and allow us to focus on what matters for improved performance.”

The increased focus on using data to enhance operations will allow Adelaide Airport to be proactive and predict and identify imminent adverse conditions before they happen. AirportPulse makes sense of data to drive operational efficiencies and improve customer experience.

Ilya Gutlin, SITA President, Asia Pacific, said: “SITA has been Adelaide Airport’s technology partner for over a decade and during that time we have worked with the team to contribute to its growth and success. Over the coming years we will continue to seamlessly transition Adelaide to the latest innovative technology that supports the vision of Adelaide Airport becoming a top tier business center in the Asia Paci­fic region.”

Adelaide Airport’s annual passenger numbers are rising and it forecasts more than 18 million passengers by 2034. This growth comes with the investment in the Adelaide Airport Business District. This development is set to transform the airport into a full-fledged business district acting as the business gateway between the world and South Australia.

• Frost & Sullivan awards SITA ‘2016 APAC Airport IT Solutions Company of the Year’

Singapore | October 13, 2016– Frost & Sullivan today recognized SITA as the Airport IT Solutions Company of the year in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region for the third time in seven years. The award highlights SITA’s leading role in the air transport industry across APAC, where it provides solutions to 70% of the region’s top 20 airports.

Frost & Sullivan was particularly impressed by the technology SITA has developed to provide a smooth end-to-end passenger journey through the airport. The four key elements highlighted were SITA Smart Path™, which uses biometrics to give passengers a walkthrough experience from check-in to the aircraft door; self-service technology, including kiosks, bagdrop and boarding gates; hybrid check-in/bagdrop desks, that can be used by agents and passengers alike and SITA’s Day of Travel app, that gives passengers the right information at the right time, wherever they are.

A key highlight was SITA’s airport operational expertise. Real time and predictive data is needed by airports to better anticipate, plan and control operations. SITA’s Day of Operations, and its Airport Management solution which is used at more than 150 airports in 48 countries, enable airlines to assign assets and resources more effectively and balance operational efficiency with business results.

Anston Tan Yong An, Industry Analyst Best Practices, Frost & Sullivan, said: “SITA sits right at the heart of the air transport industry. It stands out among its peers in its ability to deliver world-class technology solutions to the airport sector globally and across the Asia Pacific region.

“SITA’s product portfolio is supported by a management that understands aviation and is consistently able to deliver to their customer’s requirements and expectations. It has helped more than 1,000 airports globally operate more effectively while improving the overall passenger experience. And it can always be counted on to deliver unmatched service.”

Ilya Gutlin, SITA President, Asia Pacific, said: “APAC is a fascinating region for the air transport industry. We provide our solutions in the fastest-growing and largest airports in the world, and we tailor our offering to some of the smallest as well. This award from Frost & Sullivan is yet another accolade for our SITA team members throughout the region, who maintain a relentless focus on innovation and service excellence.”

Atlanta, Georgia | October 11, 2016– SITA today announced that JetBlue has selected the global IT provider to support 531 check-in and automated passport control (APC) self-service kiosks across 56 locations in the USA and Caribbean.

This three-year agreement will see SITA, the air transport industry expert, provide 24/7 remote and on-site service of JetBlue’s devices ensuring maximum up-time and the highest levels of passenger service across current and new destinations.

Eash Sundaram, Chief Information Officer, JetBlue, said: “Over the past number of years we have worked with SITA and become familiar with its expert global service provision for airlines and airports. Our kiosks, used by our customers for check-in and fast immigration processing, must be up and running at all times. SITA’s round-the-clock support will ensure that any problems can be identified and resolved faster than they were before, minimizing impact on service to our customers.”

Service quality is key in the airline industry and SITA’s contract with JetBlue includes tight service level agreements (SLAs) for the end-to-end support of the kiosks. SITA matched JetBlue cost reduction objectives by seamlessly combining its advanced remote management capabilities with field engineers available at airport locations.

Randy Pizzi, SITA President, Americas, said: “JetBlue is renowned for the high quality of service it provides to its 35 million customers and with the move to passengers using more self-service technology, it is important that this service excellence is guaranteed at every touchpoint. We at SITA recognize this and are providing proactive management of JetBlue’s kiosks so the airline’s passengers have them available for use at all times.”

SITA End User Computing offers airlines and airports an end-to-end managed service. It combines both advanced real-time monitoring technology with a global footprint of field engineers at airports. SITA’s central management platform manages devices including desktop PCs, thin clients, laptops, kiosks, monitors, bag tag and other printers, with real-time status all over the globe.

SITA’s dedicated multilingual operations team provides monitoring and support 24/7, ensuring global business continuity through a flexible service model. This ensures operational agility, accessibility and continuity – anytime, anywhere. With its truly global presence, SITA industry specialists can reach end users at 400 airports (including airside) and outstations in more than 190 countries and territories to offer a seamless end-user experience.

• First “touchless” bag drop already significantly reducing passenger check-in times

Annapolis, MD | July 20, 2016– Rockwell Collins, working in conjunction with Pulse.aero, has recently deployed two major self-service bag drop zones in Terminals One and Two at Dublin Airport through an agreement with daa. The multimillion dollar project streamlines and simplifies the baggage check-in process.

The new systems are already having a significant impact including increased check-in capacity and shorter lines. Comparing statistics from this year’s June bank holiday weekend to 2015, the use of the kiosks has reduced check-in times considerably.

Terminal One, home to Ryanair, now has 15 self-service bag drop units. The units use a one-step approach, allowing passengers who have checked in online to take their bags directly to a bag drop unit where they can print and tag their luggage. The bag is then dispatched straight into the baggage system.

In Terminal Two, the airport now has 32 self-service kiosks and 12 bag drop units in the Aer Lingus check-in area. The bag drop units in Terminal Two are the world’s first touchless bag drops, employing a two-step approach. Passengers first use their reference number to print a boarding card and/or weigh their bag and print a tag. Once tagged, the luggage is taken to the self-service kiosk and the bag is automatically dispatched.

“Touchless bag drop means that passengers can drop their bag at a self-service machine that requires only minor user interaction, eliminating many of the steps they have to deal with today,” said Liz Walshe, project manager at daa. “This solution from Rockwell Collins and Pulse.aero is providing passengers with the services they need to make their travel as easy and seamless as possible. Beyond providing a better check-in experience, the solution is reducing costs by enabling us to use our existing infrastructure to check in more passengers.”

“Different airlines often have different passenger processing models, which means that there isn’t a ‘one-size fits all’ solution for baggage handling,” said Chris Forrest, vice president of Airport Systems for Rockwell Collins. “This, combined with the requirement to work with the existing infrastructure and systems at the Dublin Airport, enabled us to create the right approach for each terminal—and it’s having a real impact on daa’s passengers’ travel experience.”

The self-service solutions will be expanded to additional airlines in the near future and more features, such as baggage payment, will be added over the summer.

Singapore | July 26, 2016– Passengers using Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) can now check in faster due to the implementation of Rockwell Collins’ new ARINC vMUSE™ mobile passenger processing solution. IGI, India’s busiest airport and the largest in South Asia, is the first airport to implement ARINC vMUSE, which gives airlines the ability to check in travelers wherever and whenever needed.

“‘Passenger delight’ is a driving principle that has helped shape our company, services, goals and all that we stand for today,” said Jeewan Khulbe, Head of IT at Delhi International Airport Ltd. “ARINC vMUSE mobile from Rockwell Collins is a way to improve the passenger experience and to provide our airports with cutting-edge solutions when traditional systems are not enough.”

ARINC vMUSE mobile enables airline and ground handling agents to utilize a tablet-based application to check in passengers from anywhere in an airport. Key reasons IGI selected ARINC vMUSE mobile include:

• Providing the airport with a cost effective way to accommodate its rapid growth without additional infrastructure.
• Enabling the airport to help airlines reduce queues during winter months when weather can cause irregular operations due to flight disruptions.
• Providing a specialized check-in tool that enables airlines to offer an added level of service, like off airport check in or seat upgrades, for elite passengers.

“IGI understands the value that these new technologies will bring–especially improving operations,” said Paul Hickox, head of Airport System Sales for Rockwell Collins. “It is one of the many reasons IGI has repeatedly been honored by industry groups as one of the world’s leading airports for both quality and customer service.”

Since 2009, IGI has benefitted from the implementation of Rockwell Collins’ ARINC airport solutions. In addition to ARINC vMUSE mobile, the airport has deployed ARINC vMUSE™, ARINC SelfServ™ Kiosks, ARINC VeriPax™ Passenger Reconciliation System and ARINC BagLink™ for baggage messaging to facilitate passenger processing and reduce congestion.

• Air.Go On was designed for ergonomic use by people of all physical dimensions
• Air.Go On can process a passenger’s bag in roughly 10 seconds
• Air.Go On uses proven software/control platforms developed by DSG BagDrop

Aalborg, Denmark | June 7, 2016– The number of annual passenger journeys is set to hit the 7 billion mark by 2035. Airlines, airports and the air transport supplier community are keenly aware of the role technology will play in improving the flow of people through crowded terminals, and creating a positive travel experience.

At the same time, airlines and airports are learning there is no such thing as an “average” airline passenger, or a “typical” day of travel. Research shows that today’s traveller craves choice and control throughout his or her journey, and is increasingly receptive to technology that facilitates these freedoms.

With its head office located directly in the passenger terminal at Aalborg Airport, airport product design firm
Marcus Pedersen Airport Interior Solutions stays close to the travelling public, airlines, personnel and service
providers to collect intelligence, inspiration and honest feedback for all its products.

The company’s latest offering, Air.Go On, is the first height-adjustable, self-service bag drop solution to enter the
market, and is a quick retrofit to any existing airport counter. Air.Go On has ease-of-use built right into its DNA.

“Creating an ergonomically correct unit was incredibly important to us,” says Niels Marcus Pedersen, CEO of When we started sketching the product, we placed it on the counter where you would normally put a retrofit bag drop. It was too low to be ergonomically correct for average users. So
we tried taking it up higher, but then it was too high for small or seated persons, and (on days when the desk was being used for manned assistance) it was blocking the airline employee who sat there.”

Some airports employ a separate bag drop solution for persons of small stature or those with physical disabilities, but the designers at Marcus Pedersen want to eliminate this practice.

“We think that all passengers should be treated as equals, and the airports and airlines we’ve spoken to feel the same way,” Marcus Pedersen continues. “When we ask someone to use a different area and special equipment, the message we send is not a positive one.”

Inclusivity aside, the height-adjustability of Air.Go On serves a second important purpose: creating a visible difference between “on” and “off” mode. When a unit is not in use the display screen goes dark, or can display luggage weight, and reverts to the lowest position (see diagram below, measurements are in millimeters). When it’s active, the display rises up – almost becoming a substitute for the person at the counter.

On the advice of airport maintenance staff, Air.Go On features rounded edges and is clear of dirt-collecting screws
or bolts. A powder-coated steel front and brushed stainless steel sides mean Air.Go On is highly durable and can be
finished in any colour combination. Contoured at optimal screen-viewing angle, the units have only two buttons
(for up/down height adjustment) and only one step is presented on the digital touchscreen display at a time. This enables a fluid user experience and leaves no room for error.

Staff monitoring the self-service bag drop area can rely on indicator lights at the top of the unit (universal red,
yellow and green indicators) as well as a connected mobile device, to observe and help out with any issues. Behind
the scenes, airport management have access to a comprehensive dashboard with detailed statistics and real-time data on the flow and performance of the bag drops.

“Installation of this retrofit solution is very easy,” says Marcus Pedersen. “We add a bracket to the front of an existing counter. Then we hang the Air.Go On, connect to the luggage conveyors, and we are up and running.”

Air.Go On is just the latest in the Air.Go family of forward-thinking self-service bag drop solutions from Marcus Pederson and leading self-service bag drop and software provider DSG BagDrop (now part of MATERNA Group).

• Easy-to-use, self bag drop solutions enhance SITA’s Airport Passenger Processing Product Portfolio

Geneva, Switzerland | December 2, 2015– SITA, the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and IT solutions, today announced the acquisition of private company Type22, a market innovator that is driving the development of self-service bag drop solutions. The company founded in 2006, is based in Delft, The Netherlands.

The acquisition will strengthen SITA’s position as market leader of end-to-end technology solutions that enhance the passenger experience. The Type22 self bag drop portfolio, including Scan&Fly and Drop&Fly, will complement SITA’s suite of intelligent airport IT solutions designed to improve the entire passenger process from curb to arrival hall, resulting in reduced costs and improved customer service.

Francesco Violante, CEO of SITA, said: “SITA has been providing its ‘Self BagDrop’ solution since 2010 with several successful deployments worldwide. According to SITA’s 2015 Airport IT Trends Survey, 62% of passengers will use self-service bag drop by 2017. Recognizing the tremendous potential in the market made acquiring Type22 a logical next step that will make us leaders in self-service bag drop integrated with common-use systems. The addition of Type22’s product portfolio and expertise will provide SITA’s customers with automated self-service bag drop solutions that are perfect for both new airport terminals as well as retrofitted into existing desk environments.”

Roel Reijnen, Managing Director of Type22, said: “At Type22 we have been entirely focused on self-service bag drop solutions since 2011 and our team has the technical experience as well as a keen understanding of the needs of the customer. With an established strong customer base in Europe and Asia, we look forward to continued growth in these and other markets adding to the SITA success story.”

SITA will continue to develop Type22’s products and will provide support for all Type22’s existing customers. Members of Type22’s staff will remain located in Delft, The Netherlands.

Innovation in self-service technologies such as self-service bag drop, self-service bag tag printing and bag tracking has led to significant cost savings for the air transport industry (ATI) since 2007. More information on these trends can be found in SITA’s 2015 Airport IT Trends Survey.