Travellers may soon be able to check themselves and their luggage in
for flights from almost anywhere, even printing luggage tags at home,
thanks to a new partnership between aviation IT provider SITA and the
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
By providing SUTD access to its SITA Flex solution, researchers will
turn designs into working prototypes that move typical airport processes
like passport scanning, bag weighing and luggage tag printing offsite.
"Tourists could experience a reimagined processing procedure right at
their hotel room door, with their luggage being sent to the airport in
advance," the press release states. This would let travellers head to
the airport luggage-free just an hour before departure instead of the
usual two hours.
The year-long project kicked off in March. As hardware and design
requirements are finalized, the off-airport concept will be tested for
integration with SITA's airline, airport and ground handler partners.
"By exploring new off-airport solutions, we remain at the forefront
while actively meeting emerging market demands," said Sumesh Patel,
SITA's Asia Pacific President.
Patel explained the partnership lets SITA showcase the versatility of
its solutions for both airport and off-airport use on any platform
while advising efficient airline integration.