Etihad Airways and Elenium Use Ground-Breaking Technology to Revolutionise the Travel Experience

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Elenium, a leading provider of automation technology solutions, will together demonstrate how a newly developed voice activated self-service kiosk, bag drop and boarding gate facility will revolutionise the travel experience by taking facial recognition technology to new heights. The demonstration will take place at Passenger Terminal EXPO (PTE) in London between 26 – 28 March.

Using cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and natural human interfacing, Etihad Airways and Elenium will demonstrate how they will change the way consumers travel by showcasing the airport experience of the future.  

Jorg Oppermann, VP HUB and Midfield Operations, Etihad Airways said: “With biometric installations increasing across airports globally, Etihad is recognising the growing demand to streamline not just the passenger verification process but to also decrease passenger queues and to increase operational efficiency.

“As a leading global airline, Etihad’s unique collaboration with Elenium will allow us to use their advanced technologies and expertise to cultivate new ideas for the aviation industry and foster the vision of future travel.”

A key area of cooperation involves the use of technologies from Elenium, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon Inc, and Etihad Airways. Together at PTE, the three entities will demonstrate a test concept for a seamless travel experience across the entire customer journey from booking to arrival at the final destination.

A new check-in experience

• Passengers check-in to their flight and register their biometric data on their mobile device before arriving at the airport, reducing queues at the airport.
• Using AI, new baggage-drop terminals scan and memorise each suitcase placed on the belt and assign it to the guest reservation, removing the need for tagged luggage.
• Using biometrics, passengers are identified and offered a personalised duty-free shopping experience through a voice interactive display, catered to the individual’s interests and needs, and also utilising floor space efficiently.
• Customer Service Kiosks are available throughout the terminal to assist with airport information, provide ancillary opportunities, and because the kiosks are portable, disruption management.
• Passengers will board their flight by walking through boarding channels which will automatically validate them without the need for a printed boarding pass - a faster, safer system.

Mike Papamichael, VP Technology and Innovation, Etihad Airways said: “The technological vision and strategy is to make the guest journey a frictionless and digitally enabled experience across all channels and touch points at the airport. Etihad’s relationship with Elenium builds on this vision and along with our micro services strategy, allows us to co-create and develop innovative self-service and biometric solutions for greater flexibility and a seamless guest experience.”

Etihad Airways will also white label the Elenium Voyager App which features booking management, passenger check-in, passport validation, timatic auto check, facial biometric enrolment, payment wallet, itinerary management (hotel, transfer, car etc.) and companion functions.

Aaron Hornlimann, Elenium Automation’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Together with Etihad, we have imagined how artificial intelligence and cloud computing can be used to reinvent the passenger experience by using voice recognition and biometrics. Our vision is for passengers to simply walk through the airport unencumbered by the legacy of kiosk touch screens and the need to scan a boarding pass.”

The Manchester City Football Club Premier League Trophy will also be on display at the Etihad and Elenium stand on the first day of the Passenger Terminal Expo.

Etihad Airways will install the new self-service transfer kiosks in phases at the new Midfield Terminal in Abu Dhabi.