Low cost airline operator EasyJet officially opened its new self-service check-in area on May 12, 2016, in the North Terminal at London Gatwick Airport.
The airline says the new facility is the largest self-service bag-drop area in the world, covering approximately 54,000ft² and containing 48 self-service bag-drop kiosks. EasyJet expects the new facility to help reduce passenger check-in times by as much as 50%, with 90% of EasyJet travelers expected to wait in line for less than five minutes.
Customers who wish to use the self-service area must first have their passports verified against their boarding pass before they can place their bags onto a weigh scale. A luggage tag is then automatically generated by the kiosks and attached to the bag by the customer. Laser scanners then check the information is correct before it’s dispatched through the airport’s baggage system to the aircraft.
Chris Hope, head of Gatwick, EasyJet, said, “These new self-service kiosks provide a glimpse into the future of airport design and enable our customers flying from London Gatwick to have unique use of the most innovative state-of-the-art facilities.
“In January 2017 we will move all of our operation into one terminal enabling EasyJet and Gatwick to deliver an improved experience for our passengers.”
Left to right: Sophie Dekkers, UK director for EasyJet, and Guy Stephenson, chief commercial officer for Gatwick Airport
Guy Stephenson, chief commercial officer for Gatwick Airport, said, “We are half way through a £2.5bn (US$3.6bn) program of investment and the transformation of our North Terminal is
a key part of this. Creating new spaces which allow new technology to speed passengers through the processing part of their journey will help us eliminate queues, handle greater numbers of passengers, and put people in charge of how they spend their time at the airport.”
