NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – Air travelers using Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Moi International Airport in Mombasa will from June 2010 be able to check- in at self-service kiosks that will be installed at the two airports.
This follows the signing of a 10-year Sh2billion agreement between SITA – a specialist in air transport communication and IT solutions – and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) that will see passenger processing at the country’s two international gateways upgraded.
“We are introducing a world-leading technology that will provide the best service for both the airlines and passengers using these airports,” said KAA Managing Director George Muhoho.
The installation of the new generation S3 Kiosks will also be available at the new Terminal Four in Nairobi when it opens, he said.
Nairobi will have 32 S3 Kiosks while Mombasa will have 16.
“The move to self-service and the adoption of SITA’s common-use technologies allows us to maximise the capacity at the airports and manage peak travel hours smoothly. The S3 Kiosks will bring a new look and feel to our airports and make them more passenger-friendly,” the MD added.
Mr Muhoho said the systems fully support the use of Bar Coded Boarding Passes which will be fully adopted by the industry in 2010.
According to SITA, the Airport Connect S3 Kiosks are said to be environmentally-friendly, boasting the smallest carbon footprint in the industry.
S3 Kiosks take up half the space of previous generation kiosks. Each kiosk weighs just 64 kilogram, can scan travel documents, and includes a printer that can issue up to 5,300 boarding passes from a single roll.
SITA Sales Director of Sub-Sahara Africa Sam Munda said there’s a huge global demand for passenger self-service check-in as they reduce pressure on airport operators during peak periods.
The technology will also benefit 37 airlines as it will allow them to share check-in and boarding facilities.
Passengers will be able to have a quicker and smoother start to their journeys in Nairobi and Mombasa because so many airlines will be able to offer cost-efficient self-service check-in from these destinations.
