Korean passengers today for the first time can check-in and automatically board the plane when leaving Da Nang International Terminal.
At 1pm on August 1, Korean male tourist Minsik arrived at Da Nang International Terminal to check-in to return home after his trip to the central region was guided by airline staff to the self-check-in device area, instead of having to wait in long lines like before.
The self check-in kiosk is simple to operate, the process is clearly displayed on the touch screen, and the content is bilingual. It only took two minutes for Mr. Minsik to complete the self-check-in procedure. In the early days, the area where 5 devices will be placed will have a 24/7 Support Assistant Team.
This is the first self-check-in service at Da Nang International Terminal, giving priority to passengers with simple travel documents. At first, the equipment mainly served Korean customers returning home, on flights operated by Korean Air (2 flights per day, 260 passengers per flight).
A Korean Air representative said that self-check-in kiosks are quite popular in developed countries, including South Korea. Passengers from the land of kimchi are very fond of this service because it saves a lot of time compared to having to wait at the traditional check-in counter.
“We have operated at other international airports such as Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa) but Da Nang International Terminal has developed fast in terms of infrastructure and is very smart. That is also the reason. many Korean passengers choose Da Nang as a destination,” he said.
Due to the first day of putting self-check-in kiosks into the application, the number of Korean customers who know about this service is not much. The self-check-in device has been invested by the terminal and is in the process of connecting with data and software with airlines, so passengers temporarily push their luggage to the check-in counter.
“In the short term, the terminal will apply self-check-in and auto boarding pass control services at departure gates. By October, the terminal will operate a self-check-in system when data is available. and synchronized application with airlines”, said Mr. Do Trong Hau, Deputy General Director of Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation Joint Stock Company (AHT).
International visitors to Da Nang are increasing rapidly after the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first seven months of the year, the city welcomed more than 1.144 million international visitors, 7.7 times higher than the same period in 2022. In July alone, international visitors were estimated at more than 204,000 arrivals, an increase of 8.7% compared to the same period in 2022. June and increased by 212% compared to July 2022.
Mr. Hau said that in July every day the station welcomes about 16,000 arrivals and departures. The city is building many new routes to India, Australia, … and restoring the destination of Da Nang with the Korean and Chinese tourist markets. The number of international passengers is gradually recovering, so AHT has proactively digitized the airport process to reduce congestion at the rush hour terminal.
“When the three systems of self-check-in, self-check-in luggage and auto-boarding operate synchronously, passengers only take 2-5 minutes to complete all procedures, instead of about 15 minutes compared to the previous system.” Mr. Hau said he would evaluate the effectiveness of this system to work with airlines operating at Da Nang International Terminal using self-check-in kiosks.
“When passengers save time doing procedures, they will have more time to experience the facilities and services at Da Nang International Terminal,” added Mr. Hau.