Air New Zealand is rolling out a new generation of internally developed check-in kiosks across the country, following a successful trial that delivered faster processing times, improved reliability, and a noticeably smoother airport experience.
Installation begins this week at Auckland Domestic Airport, with the new kiosks set to appear progressively across all New Zealand ports by the end of July. The rollout marks a significant shift in how the airline manages customer flow, with millions of passengers expected to use the kiosks each year.
Unlike traditional systems sourced from external suppliers, the Next Gen Kiosks have been designed and built in-house by Air New Zealandโs research and development team. The units use familiar, consumer-grade technology, including iPads for touchscreen interaction and built-in cameras for passport scanning, creating a more intuitive and responsive check-in process.
The concept was tested at Aucklandโs domestic terminal between June and March, where four trial kiosks processed more than 30,000 customer journeys. The results were immediate. Average check-in time dropped from over two minutes to just 37 seconds, with the fastest passenger completing the process in only 18 seconds.
The gains are even more pronounced for groups. In one recent example, a party of 21 passengers completed check-inโincluding boarding passes and bag tagsโin just two and a half minutes. Under the previous system, the same group would have taken more than two minutes per person, with larger bookings requiring manual assistance from staff. The new kiosks now enable group check-in to be completed up to 20 times faster.
There are also significant cost advantages. Each kiosk costs roughly a third of the previous generation, with the airline expecting to save more than $1 million annually in maintenance and support, largely due to reduced reliance on external providers.
Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy OโBrien says the project reflects a broader focus on delivering practical improvements for passengers.
โWe focus our innovation efforts on better customer outcomes. The purpose of our research and development team is to make travel easy and frictionless. And no one knows our customers better than our frontline team. As a business, weโve worked together to develop, test and launch the new kiosks.โ
From initial concept to nationwide rollout, the project has taken just 13 monthsโcovering both hardware and software development. It began with a clearly defined problem at check-in, with early prototypes tested live in the airport environment and refined using real-time customer and operational feedback. That iterative approach allowed issues to be identified and resolved before scaling the technology.
The kiosks were also presented at an international aviation conference late last year, drawing strong interest from airlines and airport operators.
With the nationwide rollout now underway, the airline expects the new system to become a central part of its domestic airport experienceโstreamlining one of the most time-sensitive parts of the journey.
