Christchurch Airport and Amadeus Teams Up For Common-use Technology

Christchurch International Airport in Switzerland has recently partnered with Amadeus, a global travel tech giant, to upgrade its passenger service infrastructure. They plan on creating a more efficient, flexible, and sustainable ‘common use’ technology shared by multiple airlines. 

The new system offers new opportunities for Christchurch’s airline partners. It allows multiple airline partners of Christchurch International Airport a simpler check-in process, more flexibility for seasonal operations, and the ability to connect with passengers at locations even outside of the airport, such as Christchurch Convention Centre Te Pae or Lyttelton Port, during the cruise season.

This new system will also enable the airport to unlock capacity ahead of demand from its airline partners. Adopting the cloud-based common-use infrastructure means Christchurch Airport is upgrading its check-in processes for both airlines and passengers, providing passengers with more time to relax before boarding.

Working with Amadeus will enable Christchurch International Airport to transition to more self-service kiosks and bag drops for all airlines and passengers in the future.

Sarah Samuel, the senior vice president of airport and airline operations in Amadeus, APAC, said, “We’re delighted that the team at Christchurch sees how modern cloud technology can support airports as they seek to lower their carbon impact, improve the passenger experience, and offer their airline partners exciting new ways to serve travellers.”

Samuel added, “With new flexible off-airport passenger services, we’re sure travellers at Christchurch will feel the impact of this IT modernization.”

Adoption of cloud-based common-use infrastructure means the decommissioning of 80 energy-intensive workstations by the airport and replacing them with super-efficient thin client devices. These devices are simple, low-power, computers that provide an interface to the cloud, where more efficient servers are in charge of computational operations.

Craig Dunstan, the head of customer and commercial at Christchurch Airport, said, “We are excited to team up with Amadeus to make the check-in process smoother.

“We are especially pleased to have this first upgrade in place ahead of our upcoming very busy summer season.

“We will see all our international airlines return, some with larger aircraft and more flights, as well as a new direct service between Christchurch and San Francisco.

“The transition to the Amadeus Cloud Use Service (ACUS) is another exciting step forward in embracing new technology to enable a more streamlined and frictionless journey for our passengers.”