Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport will undergo a digital transformation in 2023 to reduce waiting time

The first stage will allow passengers to weigh their luggage themselves via “Touch-and-Play” terminals, which will make queues obsolete

Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, Israel’s main international airport, is set to undergo a digital transformation in 2023 that will significantly reduce waiting times, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) announced on Sunday.

IAA CEO Hagai Topolansky has allocated more than NIS 50 million for the project, which he hopes will turn the airport into one of the most advanced in the world, according to a statement released by the IAA.

“A main objective of the IAA is improving services for passengers in the immediate future and, in the long term, becoming a digital airport and one of the most advanced of its kind in the world,” said Topolansky in the release.

The transformation is expected to focus on circumventing cumbersome procedures for passengers leaving the country.

At the new terminals dubbed by the IAA “Touch-and-Play”, passengers will be able to weigh their luggage independently and pay a supplement if necessary, according to the requirements of the various airlines.

Passengers will also be able to print baggage tags and send their baggage to the plane themselves, making the first check-in lines at the airport obsolete.

The IAA has estimated that this transformation will shorten check-in wait times by at least half an hour.

The authority said that today more than 50% of passengers leaving the country prefer an online check-in process and Touch-and-Play kiosks will offer them a greater variety of options and services.

“People flying abroad will only go through a security check after completing the check-in process for their flight — either by checking in online from home or by using one of the independent kiosks that will be installed at the airport’s departures hall,” the IAA statement read.

“Most of the process required for leaving the country will be done online and through digital means, maximising comfort and accessibility for the passengers,” the statement said.

A surge in international flights combined with a shortage of staff, many of whom have been furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in scenes of chaos in Israel and abroad.

Source: Times of Israel