GROWTH AND INNOVATION
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News, views and reviews from ACI’s regional and global World Business Partners.
YVR’s new self-bag drop solution to go global
Glidepath and Vancouver International Airport’s Innovative Travel Solutions (ITS) team have celebrated the installation of the first CHECKITXPRESS self-bag drop unit at the Canadian gateway.
CHECKITXPRESS claims to be the world’s most accessible, efficient and intuitive self-service bag drop on the market, improving ease of use for travellers regardless of age, digital fluency, language or mobility.
And it is the direct result of the collaboration between the New Zealand based baggage handling solutions company and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is fast developing itself a reputation as a pioneer in the development of new technology.
The reveal of CHECKITXPRESS at YVR comes at a time when the airport is experiencing unprecedented growth, and it believes that innovative technologies such as this one will help it continue to meet demand by improving the speed and ease of passenger and bag movement while delivering an outstanding customer experience.
Glidepath and ITS applied ergonomic design principles by lowering the profile of the conveyor to four inches (10 centimetres) off the floor and creating durable ramps to wheel bags onto the conveyor.
This allows CHECKITXPRESS to be accessible from multiple sides, offering a user-friendly bag-drop for all travellers. This industry first ultimately creates a more seamless and enjoyable travel experience for everyone.
It also takes up less space in airport terminals and helps alleviate congestion in the bag drop area. Airports, it is claimed, will benefit by avoiding costly terminal expansions and saving valuable space for other airport features, amenities and procedures which ultimately helps increase overall competitiveness.
“We strive to deliver an outstanding experience for every traveller that comes through YVR,” enthuses Craig Richmond, president and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority.
“This is an exciting time for us and offering solutions that are more accessible, efficient and intuitive enables us to prioritise speed and ease of movement for everyone, which improves overall traveller satisfaction.”
Through its innovative camera technology and first-time read-rates on baggage, CHECKITXPRESS has achieved some of the quickest customer processing times in the industry.
In fact, it boasts first-time read-rates of greater than 90% and the average processing time is eight seconds with no agent intervention or assistance required.
By expediting the bag-drop process, it is claimed that CHECKITXPRESS offers a cost-effective solution to reducing passenger wait times, while taking pressure off essential airport personnel.
“Glidepath is proud to partner with North America’s best airport on this major milestone for our industry,” says Sir Ken Stevens, chairman of Glidepath. “The holistic collaboration allowed us to create a truly unique product designed for the airport of the future.”
With the installation of the first CHECKITXPRESS at YVR, ITS and Glidepath will roll out more units in the airport over the course of the year and is also planning to sell it to other airports around the world.
The new solution follows the success of YVR’s BORDERXPRESS self-service border control kiosks, more than 1,300 of which have been sold to 41 airport and sea ports across the globe. The latest customer being Hermes Airports which operates Pafos and Larnaka airports in Cyprus.
New duty free and speciality stores in Cairns
Lagardère Travel Retail has unveiled its full selection of Aelia Duty Free stores in Cairns International Airport’s Terminal 1.
Having been awarded 10-year concessions to operate both Duty Free and Specialty stores in Cairns Airport, the group is reinforcing its strategic plan of operating three business units in one location – Duty Free & Fashion, Travel Essentials and Food Service – and strengthening its ongoing and successful relationship with the Australian gateway.
Covering over 845 square metres of retail space in Departures and 167 square metres in Arrivals, passengers travelling through Terminal 1 will discover local, regional and international brands in an engaging world-class duty free environment. Showcasing the best of luxury products from various categories including alcohol, perfumes and cosmetics, confectionery, technology, sunglasses, local gourmet, gift and wellness products,
Lagardère Travel Retail has also allocated a specific space to feature tech products through its Tech2Go concept, which it believes captures a strong sense of place through design elements such as extensive use of LED digital on key columns and ceilings, bringing the reef and rainforest experience of far North Queensland to life.
This innovation allows tailored and customised messaging to the diverse mix of passengers travelling through Cairns International Airport.
Olympic task for Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins has developed an application that will enable airlines to convert critical aviation messages – known as ‘Type B’ or ‘XML’ – so that they are compatible with Japan’s recently introduced Advanced Cargo Information (ACI) programme.
Japan Customs, which is one of the first agencies in the world to announce a live ACI programme, is doing so to enhance national security in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
ACI provides comprehensive electronic cargo information well ahead of the arrival of the goods in the country to aid logistics processing. Since Japan Customs expects to see a surge of cargo shipments during the summer games, the implementation of ACI will help both airlines and shippers enhance security.
“With this first-of-its-kind conversion app, we can help numerous airlines seamlessly and accurately convert their Type B cargo messages to the new, required Japan ACI format,” says Michael DiGeorge, vice president of commercial aviation and network services at Rockwell Collins.
“Through our company’s messaging expertise, we were able to quickly implement this new application so airlines can ensure they are compliant.”
The new, value-added conversion service from Rockwell Collins is available to airline customers globally that are carrying cargo on flights to Japan.
WBP PROFILES
ICM Airport Technics Australia
Location: Botany, NSW, Australia
Contact: Tim Kotlar, general manager, sales
W: www.icm.aero
ICM Airport Technics is a global company that specialises in the provision of self-service baggage solutions for airports and airlines. Since 2009, ICM has led the way with the most comprehensive range of self-service bag drop products to suit a large range of client needs and budgets. Having processed more than 60 million bags worldwide, ICM is an established global leader in providing airports with either retro-fitted or replacement type Auto Bag Drop (ABD) units. As the name suggests, ICM’s mission is to continually develop innovation that creates movement. ICM operates globally with offices in Australia, France, Singapore, Japan, UK and the USA.
Digital Images International
Location: Sydney, Australia
Contact: Bernard Larkin, marketing manager
W: www.dii.com.au
Digital Images International (DII) supplies Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS). The system is very high performance, with high reliability and a long life span. It is extremely fast, and can update all displays in less than one second. The system is multi-lingual, and operates in many languages, including Chinese, Thai and Arabic. Its scalable architecture allows expansion to any size. WebFIDS provides Flight Information on the airport’s web site for people away from the airport – taxi dispatch, offices, home, resorts and hotels.
