Adelaide Airport picks Amadeus for cloud check-in system

Adelaide Airport has selected Amadeus to supply new self-service check-in, bag drop and passenger processing systems. The project covers more than 50 bag drop units and about 80 kiosks.

The upgrade will also move the airport's passenger processing technology to the cloud and introduce a new messaging system between airlines and the airport's baggage infrastructure.

The installation includes S7 Air and S7 Air Hybrid bag drop units, which can operate in either self-service or agent-staffed mode. Their side-loading design is intended to make bags easier to load and to handle larger items such as wheelchairs, pushchairs and trollies.

Alongside the bag drop rollout, passengers will use about 80 kiosks for self-service check-in. Adelaide Airport is Australia's fifth busiest and handles more than nine million passengers.

Cloud shift

A central part of the project is the move to Amadeus' Airport Cloud Use Service, or ACUS. The system allows airlines to operate from any check-in or boarding counter and access the systems they need through the cloud rather than fixed connections.

The change gives the airport more flexibility in how passenger services are arranged across the terminal. It also means airlines launching new routes can be connected without the same level of fixed infrastructure previously needed at counters.

The cloud-based setup could also support passenger services from new locations in the departure hall or from roaming agents. The approach reflects a wider shift among airports towards common-use systems that can be reconfigured more easily as airline needs change.

Another element of the agreement is the introduction of Amadeus Smart Message, which will replace teletype for message exchange between airlines and baggage systems. Used in aviation for decades, teletype is being replaced by a system intended to keep baggage-related communications synchronised.

Terminal use

The changes come as airports seek to manage passenger flows more efficiently while limiting the amount of terminal space dedicated to fixed counters. Self-service check-in and bag drop systems have become a common part of that strategy, particularly at airports balancing domestic traffic with growing international operations.

For Adelaide Airport, the project is also tied to airline onboarding and route development. The new systems should make it easier to add airline partners and adjust terminal operations as services change.

Dermot O'Neill, Executive General Manager, People, Culture and Customer, Adelaide Airport, outlined the programme's broader operational aims.

"This is more than just a technology upgrade. Moving to Amadeus' solutions for seamless travel help us maximise the productive use of terminal space, onboard new airline partners more easily and deliver a more connected experience for passengers," said O'Neill.

Amadeus, which supplies technology to airlines, airports and other travel businesses, said the Adelaide project combines terminal equipment with software used behind the scenes to run passenger processing and baggage communications.

The agreement adds Adelaide to the list of airports adopting cloud-based common-use systems in place of more static check-in infrastructure. For airports, these systems can reduce dependence on dedicated desks assigned to individual carriers and allow counters to be used more flexibly across different airlines.

Jonathan Tong, Senior Vice President, Airports & Border Authorities, Asia Pacific, Amadeus, said the project was designed to support both current traffic and future airline activity at the airport.

"Adelaide Airport provides critical domestic and growing international connectivity to South Australia. This transformation will deliver a flexible foundation for passenger services based on the very latest self-service innovations. We're excited about transforming the airport experience in Adelaide and continuing to make travel work better across the end-to-end journey for travelers," said Tong.