Air New Zealand has begun deploying its new internally developed check-in kiosks across airports in New Zealand following successful trials. Designed by the airline's research and development team, the kiosks utilize familiar touchscreen technology, including iPads and built-in passport scanning cameras, to streamline the check-in process. During the trial at Auckland’s domestic terminal, over 30,000 customer journeys were processed, leading to significant improvements in efficiency.
The new kiosks have reduced check-in times from over two minutes to an average of 37 seconds, with the fastest recorded at just 18 seconds. Larger groups, previously requiring manual check-in, now experience up to 20 times faster processing, exemplified by a recent group of 21 members checked in within 2.5 minutes. Financial benefits are also substantial; each unit costs about a third of the previous kiosks, resulting in annual savings of over $1 million in maintenance and staffing.
Jeremy O’Brien, Chief Customer and Digital Officer at Air New Zealand, emphasized the airline’s focus on customer outcomes and innovation to make travel more seamless. The project was executed rapidly, from business case to rollout within 13 months, incorporating real customer and operational feedback during development. This allows the airline to deliver a more reliable and efficient check-in experience for passengers and operational savings for the company.
