Collins Aerospace, part of the RTX family, launched its new self-check-in and bag drop tool at Passenger Terminal Expo in Madrid. Using biometrics and a new, faster processor, the company claimed SelfServ “empowers passengers” and allows airlines to “optimise” their pre-security staffing.
The tool is based on Collins’s “Common Use Self Service” software, so it can integrate with multiple airlines operations on the same kiosk, which is designed to enable airlines to reduce costs and for airports to maximise their space.
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Collins’s staff explained the new modules are self-cleaning, with a digital counter to easily show staff how often the screens have been disinfected. This innovation was designed after feedback from flyers and airports post-Covid.
Airlines can choose to enable Collins’s biometric “SelfPass” solution, meaning the camera on the kiosk can be used to “enroll” passenger biometrics on their boarding pass and bag tags. Like many of the tools on show at PTE, this can then be used to easily traverse multiple checkpoints, including security and boarding.
The new internal app and processing unit has cut the use-time per passenger in half, according to Collins. “Our legacy platform… was about 40-45 seconds. We’re down to 17-20 seconds,” a spokesperson explained.
“What sets SelfServ apart from other solutions is its integration within a broader portfolio of self-service and biometric technology solutions, allowing passengers to navigate the airport with ease,” said Nicole White, vice president and general manager of Connected Aviation at Collins Aerospace.
At the same show, Collins announced it had signed an extension agreement with Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee for its “ARINC cMUSE” (multi-user system environment) solution to all four London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) passenger terminals. The new contract extends the existing relationship for another six years.
cMUSE is described as Collins’s “next-generation” common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS), with several generations of the solution implemented at Heathrow since first installation in 1999.
The news comes three months after the UK government announced renewed support for a third runway at what is already Europe’s busiest airport.
“As the UK’s Gateway to Growth, Heathrow is making investments to transform our current infrastructure to serve more passengers than ever before, and it is vital that we leverage the most innovative technologies to keep our operations running smoothly,” said Nigel Wicking, Chief Executive of the Heathrow AOC.
“We trust the Collins ARINC cMUSE solution will continue to help us optimize resources and offer quick and easy passenger processing tools that ultimately enable our airline customers to provide the best customer service possible.”
