location Dortmund, Date 2018.06.22

The airline TUI won three awards at the Real IT Awards (RITA) in London, on 17 May 2018, for the significant service improvements achieved by installing its Self-Service Bag-Drop application at Gatwick Airport. Materna Integrated Passenger Services (IPS) developed the automated check-in and bag-drop systems on behalf of TUI and implemented the self-service project with Gatwick Airport (LGW). As part of Gatwick Airport's check-in transformation, Materna IPS has already carried out several major installations in recent years.

At the Real IT Awards, held in London on 17 May 2018, the airline TUI received the Winner Award for Service Improvement in the Project Awards category, which recognizes outstanding innovative projects, and was ranked second in the project of the year (less than 250 thousand GBP). With the LGW self-bag-drop project, developed and jointly implemented by Materna IPS, TUI has been able to achieve significant improvements in business operations and customer experience, and to improve service quality by providing more opportunities for its customers. In addition, TUI received the Runner Up Award in the overall RITA 2018 category.

Among more than one hundred submissions, TUI was nominated alongside other big names such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Royal Mail, and Heathrow Airport. Every year, renowned companies and decision-makers from various industries participate in the Real IT Awards.

Check-in and bag-drop with Materna systems

In order to provide its customers with convenient self-service in Gatwick, Gatwick Airport commissioned the supplier Materna Integrated Passenger Services (IPS) to develop individual self-bag-drop kiosks and install 10 units in collaboration with participating airlines. The TUI project was delivered as part of the expansion of the Airport Zone B / C by Gatwick Airport together with Materna IPS. Materna IPS has been operating in airports and airlines for over 15 years, delivering self-service solutions that comply with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) CUSS standard.

The Materna kiosk solution installed for TUI offers a complete self-service bag-drop. The easy-to-use kiosks, which comply with the strictest security regulations, enable TUI passengers to label and drop-off their luggage with just a few clicks on the touch display with its intuitive menu. The modern systems include integrated reading, scanning, weighing and printing devices.

Susanne Kennedy, Customer Experience Manager, TUI: "We are delighted to receive the award at the Real IT Awards and thank Materna for the good work, support and dedication to the project - it was a true game changer for our airline. Customers love the Self-Bag-Drop Service, and more than 100,000 customers have used the kiosks so far. We are proud to offer them a truly convenient airport experience with less than two and a half minutes of transaction time."

Check-in transformation at Gatwick airport

In 2015, London Gatwick Airport carried out its first large-scale installation in the North Terminal involving 28 Materna kiosks with the aim of dealing with all passenger scenarios as well as meeting all the needs of the airlines. In the second phase of Gatwick's check-in transformation, 48 self-service bag-drop kiosks were installed in April 2016. The self-bag-drop units, based on a common use platform, are designed to be used by customers from various airlines, giving Gatwick's airlines greater flexibility and efficiency in passenger handling. Since then, data from the airport show that in 95% of cases, passengers queue for less than five minutes at check-in. Gatwick, London's second largest airport with more than 43 million passengers a year, currently has the largest self-service bag-drop area in the world.

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TUI´s Self-Bag-Drop Service at London Gatwick Airport

TUI´s Self-Bag-Drop Service at London Gatwick Airport

About Materna

As a leading IT service provider, Materna employs more than 2,000 people around the world and generated sales of 254 million euros in 2017. Materna covers the entire service spectrum of a full-service provider in the premium segment: from consultation and implementation through to operations. Its target customers include IT organizations and user departments in companies and the public sector. Materna is organised in six business lines: IT Factory, Digital Enterprise, Government, Communications, Mobility and cbs, their subsidiary for SAP from Heidelberg.

Under their brand Materna ips (Integrated Passenger Services) and as one of the most renowned suppliers for airports and airlines around the world, Materna delivers solutions for automated passenger handling at airports. In addition to the European market, Materna’s Integrated Passenger Services portfolio also has a focus on the North-American market with its own subsidiary in Orlando, Florida. Materna also has a strong focus on the Asian market.