Market Trends of Airport Kiosk Industry
Bag Drop Kiosks to Showcase Remarkable Growth during the Forecast Period
Bag drop kiosks are self-service machines at airports that allow passengers to check their luggage and print baggage tags independently. These kiosks are typically used in conjunction with online check-in and are designed to streamline the process of dropping off checked baggage. However, they may not be available at all airports or for all flights, signifying the opportunities for market growth during the forecast period.
Several integrations and installations are underway at several airports, as bag drop kiosks form an integral part of automated baggage handling systems. With the concept of smart airports being rapidly adopted throughout airports that serve high passenger traffic, the installation of bag drop kiosks is also underway.
For instance, in June 2023, GMR Hyderabad International Airport introduced the Self-Baggage Drop facility by installing eight fully automated self-baggage machines equipped with scanners, scales, and sensors, enabling passengers to complete their baggage check-in facility in 45-60 seconds. In March 2023, Düsseldorf Airport commissioned Materna IPS to install several check-in and self-service bag drop kiosks in the airport as part of its extensive modernization project that envisions enhancing the current service offerings and ensure a smoother travel experience for passengers, which is expected to surpass 20 million in 2023. Such developments render a positive market outlook for bag drop kiosks during the forecast period.
North America to Dominate Market Share During the Forecast Period
According to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), airlines operating in the US carried 81.8 million passengers in May 2023, wherein 10.4 million were international passengers. This marks a 7.7% YoY growth in systemwide enplanements in the country. As of December 2022, the Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP) of Canada committed more than USD 570 million (approx. USD 415 million) to 19 of Canada's large airports and announced 39 critical infrastructure projects, contributing to safety and operational efficiency to enhance security, connectivity, and COVID-19 testing and screening. Such remarkable growth has led to the adoption of various types of automated kiosks at several existing airports in the country to eliminate operational bottlenecks and focus on providing a seamless experience.
For instance, in June 2023, JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, started installing the Amadeus’ Auto Bag Drop (ABD) and Next Generation Kiosk (NGK) self-service technologies to help improve passenger flows. This technology will enable passengers to check in and print their bag tags at one of 86 Amadeus kiosks before dropping checked luggage at one of the 42 new Series 7 Auto Bag Drop units. Furthermore, these kiosks and bag drop units are to be equipped with biometric capabilities to enable passenger identification through facial recognition technologies.
Atlanta Airport installed a special information kiosk that instructs travelers how to perform CPR through a five-minute interactive tutorial. It is sponsored by the American Heart Association and is part of its CPR awareness program. Thus, the airport kiosks market in North America is expected to flourish due to the rapid growth in air passenger traffic and the number of airport infrastructure development projects, either underway or in the pipeline, during the upcoming years.
