Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 26: Passengers flying with just hand baggage would no longer have to wait in long queues for their boarding pass as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to install a Common User Self Service (CUSS) kiosk at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.The move is aimed at facilitating easy travel for flyers who prefer to travel light.
Frequent flyers travelling with hand baggage can save time by using CUSS to get their boarding passes without having to wait at any of the 18 check-in counters at domestic terminal T1. All one needs to do is type in their PNR number at the kiosk to get a copy of their boarding pass.
Passengers with heavy check-in baggage however cannot avail this facility. They will have to get their boarding passes from check-in counters after getting their baggage weighed.
The AAI is conducting trials of the CUSS kiosk and is likely to make the sole machine functional by the first week of January. “No date is fixed as yet for rolling out the service. It is aimed at saving passengers’ time,” airport director Sharad Kumar told Orissa POST.
At present, AAI is already using Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE) software at T1 which allows passengers to get boarding passes from any of the check-in counters irrespective of the airline concerned. CUTE is software that helps streamline reservation systems and facilitate checking-in of passengers from a common terminal.
The maintenance of check-in counters at terminal T1 is being done by SITA network team — provider of global information and telecommunication solutions to the air transport industry which will also take care of the CUSS kiosk.
Over 3,000 passengers board and de-board their flights at the city airport daily while 19 scheduled flights are being operated by IndiGo, Air India and GoAir.
“As the number of passengers is increasing with a corresponding rise in frequency of flights, the proposed facility will prove to be a boon for passengers as it saves time,” said Rajiv Hansda, a flyer.
Another passenger Swati Smriti Ranjan said this will encourage flyers to travel light, which will not only save their time but will also save on fuel as the plane would be lighter.