Australia's fifth busiest airport, Adelaide Airport is set to significantly enhance the passenger experience through a comprehensive rollout of advanced self-service technology from Amadeus.
The agreement will see the installation of more than 50 Amadeus Seamless Bag Drop S7 Air and S7 Air Hybrid units, complemented by circa 80 Amadeus Seamless Kiosks, to deliver a fast, simple and smooth self-serve check-in and bag drop experience.
The new bag drops increase passenger servicing flexibility by operating in full self-service or agent-staffed modes and benefit from a unique side-loading design that makes it easier to load bags and manoeuvre large items like wheelchairs, pushchairs and trollies. As part of the upgrade, the airport will also move its passenger processing technology to the cloud.
Adoption of Amadeus' ACUS (Airport Cloud Use Service) allows airlines to operate from any check-in and boarding counter, and easily access any systems they need conveniently from the cloud.
Shown to reduce queues and improve connectivity at leading airports around the world, ACUS eases airline operations when launching new routes. The cloud technology also frees Adelaide Airport from the constraints of fixed network connections—making it possible for passenger services to be provided from new locations around the departure hall or by roaming agents.
"This is more than just a technology upgrade. Moving to Amadeus' solutions for seamless travel help us maximise the productive use of terminal space, onboard new airline partners more easily and deliver a more connected experience for passengers," said Dermot O'Neill, executive general manager, People, Culture and Customer, Adelaide Airport.
Amadeus' senior vice president for airports & border authorities, Asia Pacific, Jonathan Tong added: "Adelaide Airport provides critical domestic and growing international connectivity to South Australia. This transformation will deliver a flexible foundation for passenger services based on the very latest self-service innovations."
In addition to the seamless travel upgrade, the airport will adopt a new system for message exchange between airlines and its baggage infrastructure, ensuring synchronisation. Amadeus Smart Message will replace Teletype, a costly traditional messaging standard originally introduced in the 1960s that is still prevalent in aviation.
The move to cloud-based passenger processing and modern self-service kiosks positions Adelaide Airport to better handle growing passenger volumes while improving operational agility.
By decoupling airline operations from fixed network connections, the airport can redeploy staff and resources dynamically, particularly during peak periods or when launching new routes. The side-loading bag drop design further enhances accessibility, reducing friction for passengers with bulky luggage or mobility aids.
The replacement of Teletype with Amadeus Smart Message marks a significant modernisation of baggage infrastructure communications, enabling real-time synchronisation between airlines and airport systems.
This shift is expected to reduce messaging costs, improve baggage handling accuracy, and support faster reconciliation of delayed or misrouted bags—key metrics for passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency.
