The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) launched the self-baggage drop facility on Monday, reducing wait time for passengers by 15 to 20 minutes. According to DIAL, the facility can cater to up to three passengers per minute. A 14 self-baggage drop machines – including 12 fully automated and two hybrids – have been installed at Check-In Row P of Delhi IGI Airport’s Terminal 3.

The self baggage drop (SBD)  facility aims to streamline the baggage drop-off process, reduce the wait time for passengers by around 15-20 minutes and further enhance the overall airport experience. Currently, domestic passengers will be able to use the facility, and it will be made available for international passengers post mandatory approvals.

“While currently, passengers travelling IndiGo will be able to use the facility, five other airlines, including Air India, Vistara, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and British Airways, are likely to allow usage of self-baggage drop for their passengers in the near future,” DIAL said in a release. Passengers can use the SBD facility through a two-step process. After generating their boarding passes and baggage tags at the Self Check-In kiosk, passengers have to tag their check-in baggage.

At the SBD facility, they will have to scan their boarding pass, declare that their luggage is free of prohibited/ dangerous items, and load their baggage onto the designated belt.

Once the process is completed, the baggage will be automatically transferred to the sorting area and subsequently onto the aircraft. In case the weight of the check-in baggage is beyond the limit allowed by the airline, then the check-in baggage will not be accepted by the machine. There will be airline staff near the facility to help passengers. “DIAL has been working relentlessly towards maximising passenger experience at the Delhi airport through various digitisation and automation initiatives.

The Self-Baggage Drop facility aims to make the passengers self-reliant while at the same time reduce the time taken for baggage processing significantly...,” DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said. DIAL, a GMR Airport Infrastructure Ltd-led consortium, operates Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital.