News

Indy airport kiosks to let travelers board sooner, breathe easier

March 11, 2004

Indianapolis airport officials say self-service may well be the key in helping to cut the hustle and bustle for departing passengers.

An $800 million terminal expansion project is on the drawing board for Indianapolis International Airport. Planners are seriously considering putting kiosks in the new parking garage letting passengers obtain boarding passes and ticket tags and drop off luggage before entering the terminal.

"This is clearly the future of passenger processing," John Kish, midfield project director in Indianapolis, told the Associated Press.

Airport officials haven't pinpointed how many kiosks would be installed in the new facility, which will be finished by mid-2007. Planners have two years before they must commit to a specific kiosk system.

Officials said they have closely watched the installation of 40 kiosks at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Those kiosks, costing $1.5 million, allow passengers of any airline to check in and print their own boarding passes.

McCarran broke new ground last spring, becoming the first airport to deploy self-service kiosks that aren't tied to a particular airline. The Nevada airport serves 28 airlines. (See Kioskmarketplace story, May 20, 2003)

McCarran's SpeedCheck kiosks aren't bound to airport concourse limitations. Plans called for a kiosk in the parking garage and even in the city's convention center, permitting passengers to secure boarding passes before arriving at the airport.