Houston Airports, which manages George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby, is partnering with Amadeus to create a next-generation airport experience for passengers.

Travellers flying from either of the airports will soon be able to check-in, drop their bags, enter airline lounges and board their aircraft without interacting with agents or providing paper documents in line with a major modernisation programme at the two air transport hubs. By opting to enroll for biometrics, the passenger’s face becomes their boarding pass and passport, making their journey through the airport as seamless as possible.

“Advanced technology equates to shorter lines, greater efficiency and a vastly improved passenger experience. Using this innovative technology allows us to make the airport journey more seamless, touchless and intuitive and is of great value for our passengers, air carriers and airport partners,” said Darryl Daniel, Chief Technology Officer, Houston Airports.

The transformation will see Houston’s airports upgrade from legacy on-site IT to Amadeus’ flexible cloud infrastructure. By moving to the cloud, the airports will simplify how airlines connect to its biometric check-in desks, bag drops and boarding gates, which airlines can now achieve through a single integration to Amadeus. More than 230 check-in positions will be connected this way, with 110 of them offering biometric technology.

New check-in kiosks, Auto Bag Drop units, and e-boarding gates powered by Amadeus will be installed as part of the new single platform. This will enable passengers to choose their preferred airport experience, whether that’s a fully agent-serviced to a completely biometric self-service at every step, or a combination.

Meanwhile, Betros Wakim, Senior Vice President, Americas, Airport IT, added: “By placing the passenger’s entire end-to-end experience at the heart of its strategy, Houston Airports is applying new technology that puts Houston at the forefront of the industry. We’re pleased to help Houston Airports deliver on its vision for a simple and intuitive passenger experience, with flexible technology that automates services and drives efficiencies, benefitting airlines and their passengers.”

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