Self-service check-in sees smooth take-off from Hongqiao airport
Zhang Yinghui, a Spring Airlines passenger who took a flight from Hongqiao to Shenzhen on Monday, scans his boarding pass on a self-service boarding machine equipped with facial recognition capabilities at the T1 terminal of Hongqiao International Airport.
The Terminal 1 building at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport officially reopened on Monday morning after three years of renovation, featuring streamlined check-in and boarding procedures.
The new T1 includes China’s first self-service check-in that allows passengers to print tickets, check in luggage and board, all without queuing at staffed counters.
The new terminal received a total of 2,239 passengers with Spring Airlines during the morning peak hours as of 9am on Monday, 86 percent of whom chose to use the automated system, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.
Thanks to these new self-service features, the usual congestion and long lines in front of check-in counters and security checks have been largely relieved, Zhang Zheng, general manager with the airport service department of the budget carrier, said.
“It takes 15 seconds on average for passengers without luggage to finish check-in, while the luggage check-in process takes a minute on average,” Zhang said.
The T1 building is now primarily a base for Spring Airlines and a number of other carriers operating charter flights to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as to Japan and South Korea.
The airport authority has placed 28 self-service check-in machines in the newly opened D section of the T1 building. Passengers can scan their passports or identity cards on the machines to receive both their boarding passes and luggage tags.
“I usually spare at least an hour to take a domestic flight, but the self-service machines reduced the whole check-in and boarding procedure by half,” said Zhang Yinghui, a Spring Airlines passenger who took a flight from Hongqiao to Shenzhen on Monday.
However, the airport authority still recommends passengers spare enough time for check-in procedures, security checks and boarding processes since these procedures are still unfamiliar to many, Xu Zhengning, an official with the airport, said.
A staffer with Spring Airlines helps Zhang Yinghui put his luggage on a self-service check-in machine at the T1 terminal of Hongqiao International Airport on Monday.
The airport authority has retained 6 staffed counters for those who cannot use the self-service machines. A volunteer team of 50 has also been organized to guide passengers beside each of the self-service machines.
Passengers can now place their luggage on one of 18 loading machines at the airline’s counters.
Facial recognition technology is used to check the passenger against their passport or ID card, which will decrease the wait for a security check to just 12 seconds, Zhang said.
Security checks with X-rays will still be conducted manually.
“Self-service has become a trend among international airports to shorten the check-in and boarding process,” said Dai Xiaojian, vice president of the Shanghai Airport Authority.
Chen Jinli, another passenger with the carrier, said it was common to use self-service machines at airports in European countries, so it was easy for her to become familiar with the machines at Hongqiao airport.
The airport authority has begun preparations to expand self-service facilities to the T2 terminal along with China Eastern Airlines, Xu said on Monday.
The airport authority has placed 28 self-service check-in machines in the newly opened D section of the T1 building of Hongqiao airport. Passengers can scan their passports or identity cards using the machines to receive both their boarding passes and luggage tags.
