Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will join forces to turn Seattle Tacoma International Airport into the "Airport of the Future".
The carriers will invest $18 million in the project, which is designed to simplify check-in, cut back on waiting times, and reduce passenger queues. First trialled in 2004, the concept is set to become a reality by the end of this year.
"With Airport of the Future, we're removing the traditional barrier between the customer and where he or she wants to go, allowing our passengers to get from curbside to planeside in record time," said Ed White, Vice-President of Real Estate at Alaska Airlines.
Traditional check-in desks in the area shared by Alaska and Horizon will make way for 50 Instant Travel Machine kiosks, at which passengers can print their own tickets.
Fliers with only hand luggage can then proceed to security, or deposit luggage at one of 54 manned bag-check points.
The system reduced congestion by half in 2004 when introduced on a smaller scale at Ted Stevens International in Anchorage, Alaska, and has been seen in different incarnations at airports in Los Angeles; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and Boise, Idaho.
"This design has been especially convenient for the growing number of our customers who check in online," White noted.
Together, Alaska and Horizon carry almost half of the passengers who travel through Seattle-Tacoma, transporting on average 26,000 fliers per day.
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