SITA has announced a 10-year agreement with the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) for a complete upgrade of passenger processing at the country’s two international gateways, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)in Nairobi and Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa. This includes the installation of the country’s first-ever self-service check-in kiosks.

The installation of the new-generation S3 Kiosks by June next year will bring passenger self-service to Kenya for the first time. Nairobi will receive 32 S3 Kiosks and Mombasa 16.

The upgrade of passenger processing to the SITA AirportConnect Open platform will benefit 37 airlines as it allows them to share check-in and boarding facilities.

George Muhoho, md of KAA, said: “Working with SITA, we are introducing world-leading technology that will provide the best service for both the airlines and passengers using these airports. This technology will also be available at the new Terminal Four in Nairobi when it opens.

“The move to self-service and the adoption of SITA’s common-use technologies allow us to maximise the capacity at the airports and manage peak travel hours smoothly. The S3 Kiosks will bring a new look and feel to our airports and make them more passenger-friendly.”

Sam Munda, sales director for sub-Saharan Africa at SITA, said: “There is now huge global demand for passenger self-service check-in. The majority of passengers clearly prefer self-service options when they are available, which reduces pressure on airport operators during peak periods.

“Some three million passengers will be able to have a quicker and smoother start to their journeys in Nairobi and Mombasa because so many airlines will be able to offer cost-efficient self-service check-in from these destinations.”

The technology implemented also fully supports the use of bar-coded boarding passes, which will be 100% adopted by the industry in 2010.