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Avalon Airport is set to introduce ‘touchless’ check-in and bag drop kiosks to reduce the risk of transmitting coronavirus.
Passengers will be able to control an on-screen cursor by moving their head, and cameras will certify passports when they’re held up to a sensor, rather than physically inserted.
The news is in addition to non-contact temperature, respiratory and heart rate technology developed by the same business, Elenium.
Avalon Airport’s chief executive, Justin Giddings, said, “This solution will allow passengers to go through the self-service experience without touching a device, thereby providing a seamless, intuitive and safe method of moving quickly through the airport.”
The airport, which serves both Melbourne and Geelong, will initially install six kiosks.
“The partnership between Elenium and Avalon demonstrates how quickly a response to the COVID-19 virus can be implemented,” said Giddings.
The news comes days after the government announced its plan to restart recreational interstate flights by the end of July.
The roadmap, unveiled on Friday afternoon by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, also hinted at the introduction of cross-Tasman, Pacific island and international student travel in mid-winter, too.
Currently, a combination of state border closures and day-to-day movement restrictions have ruled out all but essential interstate journeys.
At the weekend, Giddings told local journalists that he expects flights to be cheap when domestic travel returns.
Responding to comments by Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce that Sydney to Melbourne Tullamarine tickets could cost as little as $19, he said, “Avalon has got a really low cost base, which enables airlines to charge a lower fee to passengers.
“We’re typically 10 per cent cheaper than Tullamarine to Sydney already. If Tullamarine was to have a $19 fare I would expect ours to be even lower.”
