As foreign airlines enter and leave Israel depending on the security situation, Israir is trying to change the airport experience for passengers who do arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. The company launched a self-bag drop service this morning, designed to let passengers bypass traditional check-in counters and complete the baggage drop process digitally.
This is not just about printing a luggage tag, but about implementing a new PSX Kiosk system from Amadeus. Although similar bag drop services already operate at Ben Gurion Airport in different formats, including at El Al, which has eight kiosks alongside dedicated counters, Israir says the innovation here is the shift to a fully digital process.
Unlike existing services that require passengers to go physically to airport machines to begin the process, Israir has developed an app that allows registration to be completed in advance. That means the airport kiosk is used only for quick identification and issuing the bag tag.
The prerequisite: It all starts at home
The new service is designed for passengers who complete the required steps before arriving at the airport. To use the self-service kiosks, passengers must check in on Israir’s website or app and purchase checked baggage before arriving at the terminal. Passengers who skip that step at home will still be directed to the regular check-in counter lines.
Here is how the new process works:
After security screening in Terminal 3, in the G West area, passengers go to one of the 17 dedicated kiosks installed by the Israel Airports Authority for the airline’s passengers.
Step one: identification
Scan the barcode on the boarding pass, either from a phone or a printed copy, and scan the passport to verify the passenger’s details.
Step two: tag issuance
The system identifies the baggage details purchased in advance through the app and prints the luggage tag.
Step three: tag and drop off
After attaching the tag to the suitcase, passengers move to a dedicated drop-off counter line. There, an Israir attendant scans the tag, weighs the suitcase and sends it to the aircraft hold.
Hila Hermolin Ronen, EVP Marketing & Sales at Israir Airlines, said the move “is a major step in advancing digital innovation in Israel and places Israir in line with the international standards used at leading airports around the world.”