Auckland Airport is introducing smart technology with the goal of making the check-in process faster, easier, and more efficient. International travellers are beginning to use technology, allowing them to check-in at a kiosk, print their own luggage tags, and then use an automated bag drop – cutting waiting times at check-in.

The front of house upgrade, which will eventually tie into an equally significant upgrade to the airport’s baggage handling system behind the scenes, represents a shift away from traditional check-in desks. It’s an opportunity to streamline the airport experience and provide more choice and control for travellers.

International travellers will initially benefit with the first of the new self-service kiosks and bag drops coming online with selected airlines, and over the next few years, around 100 existing check-in counters will be replaced with self-service kiosks and bag drops.

Once complete, the new system will be available to international travellers and future domestic jet travellers, no matter which airline they are flying with. Multiple airlines will be able to check in from the same kiosks at the same time, creating more capacity and improving flow through the check-in hall.

These systems are already familiar to many travellers, but airport staff will be on hand to assist, especially with large or special items like bikes and prams.

Biometric technology, which allows for identification without physical documents, is not included in this rollout. However, the system is future-ready and can be adapted to include biometrics at a future stage.

Check-in upgrade