Collaboration between Vancouver airport and New Zealand Baggage Handling Solutions company Glidepath has brought together two leaders in airport innovation to expedite processing times and strengthen security.
Glidepath, one of the world’s leaders in airport baggage handling, has celebrated the installation of CHECKITXPRESS, a super-efficient, automated self-bag drop unit at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
The West Auckland headquartered company designed and integrated the technologies to drive CHECKITXPRESS, an accessible, efficient and intuitive self-service bag drop, improving speed and ease of use for travellers regardless of age, digital fluency, language or mobility.
“Glidepath is proud to partner with North America’s best airport on this major milestone for our industry,” said Sir Ken Stevens, Executive Chairman of Glidepath at the official YVR launch this month. “The holistic collaboration allowed us to create a truly unique product, using automation and technology designed for the airport of the future to improve the customer experience while meeting the highest levels of security.”
The new CHECKITXPRESS self-bag drop system comes at a time when Vancouver International Airport– recently named Best Airport in North America for the ninth consecutive year – is experiencing unprecedented growth, handling more than two million passengers each month and on track to service 29 million passengers by 2020 by becoming a hub with a diverse global network.
President and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority, Craig Richmond said the introduction of CHECKITXPRESS was a major step forward in becoming a world class sustainable hub airport.
“We strive to deliver an outstanding experience for every traveller that comes through YVR,” he said. “This is an exciting time for us and offering solutions that are more accessible, efficient, and intuitive enables us to prioritise speed and ease of movement for everyone, which improves overall traveller satisfaction.”
Sir Ken said Glidepath and Innovative Travel Solutions (ITS), the innovation team at Vancouver International Airport, applied ergonomic design principles by lowering the profile of the conveyor to four inches off the floor and creating durable ramps to wheel bags onto the conveyor. This allows CHECKITXPRESS to be accessible from multiple sides, offering a user-friendly bag-drop for all travellers.
Through its innovative camera technology and superior read-rates on baggage, CHECKITXPRESS has achieved some of the quickest customer processing times in the industry (92% plus), with no agent intervention or assistance required. This results in a cost-effective solution to reducing passenger wait times, while taking pressure off essential airport personnel.
“This industry first ultimately creates a more seamless and enjoyable travel experience for everyone by improving the speed and ease of passenger and bag movement,” Sir Ken said. “CHECKITXPRESS offers a world-class product that can be customised to meet the baggage handling and security needs of all airports, globally. “
Glidepath, in collaboration with ITS, will roll out more units in the airport over the course of the year and is also planning to expand CHECKITXPRESS to other airports around the world.
Pictured below: Sir Ken Stevens.
