International leisure airline Corendon Airlines has launched a program to convert its ground handling to automated systems. At several hubs, the company is increasingly relying on digital kiosk systems for self-check-in and automated baggage drop stations.
According to the airline, the terminals at Antalya, Manchester, and Amsterdam airports have already commenced regular operations. The airline is currently expanding its services to other European destinations, with installations at the German airports in Düsseldorf and Nuremberg, as well as in Warsaw, undergoing a testing phase.
The technical procedure at the terminals requires passengers to scan their identification document or manually enter their booking number. The system then allows them to select their seat and generate their own luggage tags. An integrated payment unit processes additional services such as excess baggage in various currencies, including euros, Turkish lira, US dollars, and British pounds. Chief Operating Officer Atilay Batu explains the move as necessary to accelerate pre-departure processes in order to reduce operating costs in the terminals and shorten waiting times at the remaining staffed counters.
Industry experts and consumer advocates have mixed opinions on the accelerated expansion of self-service infrastructure at leisure airlines. While automation, when the system runs smoothly, saves time for tech-savvy travelers, technical malfunctions or incomplete booking data significantly increase delays in waiting areas. Furthermore, critics point out that shifting services to the customer often leads to a reduction in on-site service staff. Particularly in holiday and charter travel, characterized by a high proportion of families and older travelers with increased need for assistance, purely digital check-in regularly reaches its functional limits during the peak summer holiday season.
Financial analysts view the measure as a response to persistent margin pressure and the acute shortage of skilled workers in ground handling services across European airspace. With personnel costs and airport fees continuously rising, airlines are attempting to minimize their fixed costs per passenger through digital interfaces. Whether the implementation of the kiosk systems at the German test locations of Düsseldorf and Nuremberg will lead to a lasting reduction in flight operations will only become clear after the current test phase is completed during the peak autumn holiday travel period.