South African airport unveils 'Tap and Fly' boarding gate system

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Lanseria International Airporthas unveiled its new automated boarding gate system to key stakeholders.

Designed to streamline its customer experience, the gates are a first for domestic clients in South Africa.

Rolled out in time for the festive season

The innovative “Tap and Fly” solution has been rolled out just in time for the festive season, bringing Lanseria another step closer to becoming Africa’s SMART airport of choice, whilst maintaining the warm and personalised service it is known for.

The launch of the Airport’s automated boarding gates is a first for domestic travel; setting a benchmark for smart airport technology in the region.

“This milestone aligns with our commitment to providing passengers with exceptional convenience, SMART value-adding processes and a seamless travel experience. It speaks to what we want to be remembered for as Lanseria: a caring and memorable point of entry and departure locally and internationally. This is especially true as we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year,” notes Rampa Rammopo, the CEO of Lanseria International Airport.

Speaking at the launch, Rammopo highlighted that the automated boarding gate rollout marks the first phase implementation of LIA’s broader SMART airport strategy.

“In the next few years, customers can look forward to everything from biometric technology integration to enable secure and efficient international travel, all the way through to self-service bag-drop systems that will streamline luggage handling. ‘Tap and Fly’ is just the beginning.”

The “Tap and Fly” system has been implemented across LIA’s domestic terminal in partnership with incumbent carrier FlySafair.

It will reduce the time passengers spend during boarding while freeing up Lanseria’s staff to focus on what is most important: personalised customer service and engagement.

“While passengers will still check-in their luggage (if applicable) and undergo the standard ID verification process with Lanseria staff, as per aviation regulations, they will then proceed to the automated gates, scan their own boarding passes or QR codes, and gain access to the boarding area,” explains Rammopo.

“This will significantly speed up queues prior to physical security checks.”

Customer queries

He added that Lanseria staff will remain actively involved, ensuring customer queries and concerns are promptly addressed. “Most importantly, this new system will not result in staff redundancies but instead aims to amplify the quality of customer service and attention passengers require; streamlined boarding with a human touch.”

The cutting-edge End-to-End TAV Technologies Automated Passenger Gate Systems were specifically rolled-out in LIA’s domestic terminals first – in time for the festive travel season.

To ensure smooth transition to the new system, Lanseria is leveraging its communication platforms, including its website and in-terminal screen to provide detailed information about the system.

“Travellers can access information on how the gates work, their benefits and how they contribute to a smoother travel experience.”

Testing of the new gates has been completed successfully and the airport team is confident in their readiness for public use.

The airport looks to install the automated security gates at restricted access points for staff, crew and permit holders.

“This technology replaces the need for manual ID verification, enabling authorised personnel to use digital permits or boarding passes for entry based on their security clearance, streamlining the process significantly.”

Rammopo adds that the next phase of the airport’s SMART rollout will incorporate biometric authentication to further enhance security and efficiency for airport operations.

“As South Africa’s leading privately-owned airport, we are proud to pioneer this technology, starting with domestic travel. We look forward to welcoming sharing this seamless ‘Tap and Fly” experience with our customers – ensuring they enjoy faster boarding times while experiencing the personalised service that sets Lanseria International Airport apart,” he concludes.