The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) will soon roll out iCute – a self-developed shared check-in service for passengers flying with different airlines in an attempt to equalize waiting lines at airports throughout Vietnam.

With iCute, passengers flying with several different airlines will only need to check in at the nearest counter instead of visiting their airline’s designated check-in area, an ACV representative told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The iCute system will not only help airlines and airport operators make the best use of airport infrastructure facilities, but it will also enable them to improve the quality of ground services and create equality among passengers of different airlines so that they can enjoy similar check-in experiences, the ACV representative elaborated.

An official from a ground service provider at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City said each airline operating at the airport is in charge of a check-in area to serve their passengers, but their opening hours vary, which can lead to big gaps in waiting times. 

Check-in counters served by Vietnamese carrier Pacific Airlines, for example, are often very busy between 7:00 am and 9:00 am, while local competitor Vietravel Airlines rarely uses all of its counters in that same time slot due to a low number of flights.

Consequently, many Vietravel Airlines counters stay closed while Pacific Airlines counters are overwhelmed.

In addition, given the fact that every carrier uses its own check-in system, if a system encounters problems at a certain time, passengers cannot use check-in service.

Last year, a computer system linking a local carrier with Tan Son Nhat became congested, resulting in a host of flight delays and leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport. It took around four days to address the incident.

Besides the launch of iCute, the ACV is facilitating other applications of technology at Vietnamese airports.

Vu The Phiet, general director of ACV, said the technology upgrade at airports nationwide will focus on digital infrastructure development and data digitization.

Some of the new applications set to roll out include shared bag drop counters, eGates, and Self Boarding Gate, Phiet shared.

The application of technology in the local aviation industry is already proving to be a boost to the local airline industry.

Huynh Chau, a resident in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that traveling by air is much more convenient thanks to technology, as passengers only need a smartphone to conduct flight procedures and do not need to queue to get a boarding pass at check-in counters.

Hang, another air passenger, also praised the application of technology at local airports, but added that she had yet to enjoy a seamless airport experience.

Passengers still need to line up at airport security checkpoints and the currently in-use facial recognition technology employed at airports is still not popular, Hang said.

A leader of a local carrier said digital transformation will cost airlines a small fortune but it will bring about benefits in the long run.

Therefore, local airlines are facilitating efforts to roll out more technology solutions to better serve their customers, despite facing obstacles due to inadequate infrastructure facilities at different airports.

A representative of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines told Tuoi Tre that it aims to become a digital airline.

Aside from maintaining safe and stable operations, Vietnam Airlines has ramped up the application of technology to ground and air services.

Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet said it is also expanding online check-in services at domestic airports.

In related news, ACV previously chose Cat Bi Airport in the northern port city of Hai Phong to upgrade the entire technology system, making Cat Bi the first airport to pilot facial recognition technology at the airport security checkpoint.

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