MISHREF, KUWAIT - SITA, the air transport IT provider announced it’s at the final stages of testing the self-service check-in kiosks at Kuwait International for Airport’s seven million annual passengers, as part of an eight-year contract renewal for SITA’s passenger processing platform.

Kuwait’s agreement with SITA covers some 200 positions at check-in desks, transfer and reclaim and 12 common-use self-service check-in kiosks.

Fawaz El Farah, president of the directorate general of Civil Aviation, Kuwait, sponsored the agreement with SITA, said: “Kuwait International Airport is growing at a rate of 5% annually.”

Mohammed Hariri, chairman of the Airline Operating Committee, Kuwait International Airport, added:  “We’re excited to take this technology one step further and offer self-service kiosks in the airport for the first time.”

Hani El-Assaad, SITA president Middle East, India and Africa, said: “The combination of SITA’s AirportConnect Open platform and the new kiosks will help reduce queues, while giving passengers more control over their journeys.

“In fact our studies have shown that the kiosks can help increase passenger processing speed by up to 25%, while making more efficient use of an airport’s limited physical space and infrastructure.”