Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is providing travelers with an increasingly touch-free experience at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), including new technology from SITA that enables passengers to use their personal mobile devices to control one of a dozen airline check-in kiosks within the Departures Level.
At the kiosk, travelers can use their phone to scan a unique QR code in front of them, and their phone will become a trackpad to control the kiosk. This innovative service, currently used by nearly two-dozen participating carriers at LAX, is the first in the United States developed by the aviation technology company SITA, to prevent travelers from having to touch the screen on the kiosk.
LAX is also retrofitting traditional, manually operated drinking fountains in Terminal 4 to create a touchless system. Additionally, maintenance crews recently installed more than 250 hand sanitizer stations throughout the airport, with an additional 100 stations to be installed this week, along with 18 sanitizing wipe dispensers located at the Smarte Carte rental stations.
LAX is also accelerating the use of Global Entry, a U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program for low-risk, pre-approved travelers, that incorporates a biometric kiosk to prevent the need for passengers to swipe a passport or provide fingerprints at the time of entry. The new Global Entry kiosks have effectively reduced processing time of pre-approved members by nearly 90 percent, from 45 seconds to less than 6 seconds per traveler.
“At LAWA, new technology is making our facilities more touchless, clean and easier to navigate as we welcome more travelers back to the skies,” said Justin Erbacci, LAWA CEO. “We are aggressively creating a touch-free journey from the curb to the gate, setting the standard for a reimagined airport experience.”
