Air India has announced the extension of its integrated self-check-in and baggage-drop facilities to passengers flying from India to all destinations operated by the airline in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada. 

This expansion brings the total number of global destinations covered by these self-service options to 19, encompassing all airports in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, and Australia.

Air India was an early adopter of this service for international destinations in the US and Australia, as well as for its domestic network. The airline is now rolling out the facility to key airports including London (Heathrow and Gatwick), Birmingham, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan, Zurich, Toronto, and Vancouver. 

This is in addition to the five US destinations (New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington, and San Francisco) and two Australian destinations (Sydney and Melbourne) already covered. More international airports are expected to be added to the service shortly.

The initiative underscores Air India’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance customer experience and deliver world-class service at every touchpoint. The integrated self-check-in and baggage-drop service aims to provide a smoother and faster check-in process at the airport, significantly improving passenger convenience. Passengers can now seamlessly print boarding passes and baggage tags and drop their bags independently, thereby eliminating the need to queue at traditional check-in counters.

The self-service kiosks also offer travelers the flexibility to customize their trips, allowing them to select and pay for preferred seats, or update their frequent flyer numbers and contact details. This streamlining of the check-in process is designed to reduce waiting times and enable passengers to proceed to their boarding gates more efficiently.

Over the past year, Air India has implemented several customer-centric initiatives. These include the Premium Lobby, offering exclusive check-in for first, business, and premium economy passengers; dedicated Family Assistance counters at Delhi airport; city-side check-in counters in Delhi and Hyderabad; and the existing self-check-in and baggage-drop service. These efforts are aimed at elevating Air India’s customer experience to global standards, which the airline states is already reflected in its customer satisfaction (NPS) scores.

Air India is currently undergoing a five-year transformation program, Vihaan.AI, since returning to Tata Sons in 2022 after 70 years of government ownership. As part of this transformation, the airline placed its largest-ever order for 470 new aircraft in 2023. In 2024, sister airlines Air Asia India and Vistara were successfully merged into Air India Express and Air India, respectively. 

The airline also opened South Asia’s largest aviation training academy. A new flying school is scheduled to open in 2025, and construction for a greenfield maintenance base, slated to be operational in 2026, is underway. In addition to new aircraft, all existing aircraft are progressively undergoing a full interior refit.

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