London City Airport launches new technology for busy holiday season

Share

London City Airport (LCY) has introduced new flight information displays (FIDs) and check-in kiosks for the holiday season.

26 brand new, state of the art, self-service check-in kiosks have been installed to make passenger check-in as fast as possible, and new FIDs with clearer, better aesthetics have been introduced as part of an airport-wide project to improve signage.

It all comes as LCY recorded its busiest ever month of passenger numbers in the airport’s near 28 year history – 406,968 were welcomed through its doors in July 2015, up nearly 30,000 on the previous best of 379,020 set in March, and an 18.8% increase on July 2014.

The new check-in kiosks are designed by SITA, the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology, whose systems cover 95% of all international destinations across 200 countries.

They are the most user-friendly kiosks available, providing a modern and faster flight check-in experience, with LCY one of just two airports to install them. Mobile wireless check-in desks have also been introduced to provide flexible passenger processing, so at peak periods when alternative check-in locations are required, staff can simply bring the technology to the passenger.

The new FIDs are displayed on brand new LCD screens and, thanks to a new content management system, have the flexibility to control what information is presented. At the touch of a button, they can display new information including way finding, flight status, and disruption messaging, further enhancing communication with passengers.

A total of 89 are set to be installed along with ‘smartwall’ screens which in total are bigger than those found in IMAX cinemas, designed to support check-in operations.

New technology is also being developed in the airport to provide a greater view of the number of passengers travelling and a better understanding of both check-in procedures and dwell times. Data is studied and then improvements can be made accordingly – for example, changing passenger queuing locations to make the most of LCY’s limited terminal space.

Alison FitzGerald, Chief Information Officer, said: “This new technology is a timely introduction with the summer season upon us. We have already set record passenger numbers more than once this year and we are on course to welcome 4.1 million passengers in 2015, up from 3.65 million in 2014.

“We have already introduced free and fast Wi-Fi, improved seating featuring power points for passengers to charge phones and other devices, and the new kiosks, wireless check-in desks, and FIDs will all help us to meet the increasing demand we are facing and provide our customers with the high quality level of service they have come to expect from us.”

12/08/2015

This post was published on 14 August 2015 17:11

André Orban

M. Sc. Engineering

Published by
André Orban

Recent Posts

Romanian airline Dan Air files for insolvency amid €10 million environmental debt

Romanian carrier seeks protection from creditors as total liabilities reach €25.4 million; flight operations face…

23 October 2026

Jetstar bans passenger after he inflates life jacket during safety demonstration

Jetstar and Qantas have banned an Australian social media personality from flying with their airlines…

23 October 2026

Flemish Government suspends new Brussels Airport flight plan over noise concerns

The Flemish Government has invoked a conflict of interest against the proposed changes to flight…

23 October 2026

Brussels Airport to expand border controls as EES delays persist, government registration kiosks remain offline

Brussels Airport will add eight manual border-control positions for arriving passengers by the end of…

23 October 2026

Typhoon Champi forces cancellation of more than 600 flights in Taiwan

Typhoon Champi has disrupted air travel across Taiwan, forcing the cancellation of more than 600…

23 October 2026

Copenhagen Airport faces major security queues after new screening requirements

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is experiencing major queues at security screening after new requirements introduced by…

23 October 2026