Delhi airport launches self-service mechanism for passengers to quick check-in with luggage

Mumbai: Delhi airport operator DIAL on Tuesday said it has launched a self-service mechanism, enabling passengers to drop in their luggage, collect tags and print boarding passes to complete the check-in process in less time.

The new one-step quick baggage drop solution reduces the check-in process to just 30 seconds from one minute, DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd) said.

With this, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has become first such facility in the country to offer such a solution and second globally after Canada's Toronto Airport, the operator said in a statement.

As part of the new mechanism, the airport has installed around 50 Self-Service Bag Drop (SSBD) units across Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 for passengers. These units are currently available with three airlines -- Air India, IndiGo and Air India Express, it said.

The conventional mechanism takes around one minute, under which travellers are able to bypass check-in desks, print boarding passes and collect baggage tags at common use self-service (CUSS) kiosks.

Upon reaching the baggage drop units, the operator said, passengers have to scan their boarding passes or face biometric cameras and proceed to drop their bags on the conveyor belt.

To make this process more efficient, DIAL has launched a quick drop solution facility, a one-step process that eliminates the need for boarding pass or biometric validation since these details are already available on the baggage tag, the airport operator said.

This reduces the processing time from about a minute to 30 seconds, it added.

"We have introduced the Self-Service Bag Drop Quick Drop Solution at Delhi Airport, setting a new standard for passenger convenience and efficiency in India. This initiative is aimed at leveraging advanced technology to enhance the travel experience.

"The Quick Drop Solution not only speeds up the baggage drop process but also ensures a smoother journey for our passengers," said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of DIAL.

Under the new mechanism, passengers can collect and attach their luggage tags at CUSS kiosks upon arrival at the airport. After passengers place their bags onto the SBD conveyor belt, the system opens the respective airline's application on the SBD machine with a single click, the operator explained.

When the passengers agree to the dangerous goods self-declaration form with a single click, the SBD system internally checks all relevant criteria and business rules defined by the airlines, it said, adding once verification is complete, the bag is automatically processed.