easyJet has become the first airline at Manchester Airport to install a fully automated bag drop facility for customers – which will help to reduce and eliminate check in queues.

The new feature feeds in to the recently announced £1 billion ten year Manchester Airport Transformation Programme.

Customers are welcomed by easyJet Welcome Hosts who guide them into the auto bag drop area where they place their bags on a scale.

A luggage tag is then automatically generated. Customers’ passports are then checked and tiny cameras authenticate the tag information is correct.

Bags are then dispatched along a conveyor belt to make their way to the plane.

Ali Gayward, commercial manager at easyJet, said: “We recognise that our customer’s airport experience is a hugely important part of their overall journey and so we are delighted to have launched this new service for our customers flying from Manchester Airport.

“The new self-service kiosks provide a glimpse into the future of airport design and enable our customers to have unique use of the most innovative state of the art facilities. 

“As we approach the summer, our busiest time of the year, we want to ensure that customers have a seamless journey through the airport, enabling their summer holidays to get off to the best of starts.”

This summer easyJet expects to fly up 65 times a day from Manchester carrying up to 11,000 passengers a day from the Airport.

It will also base 11 aircraft from Manchester throughout peak summer.

Brad Miller, MAN-TP director, said: “It is pleasing to see easyJet introduce this state of the art facility at Manchester Airport, I am sure it will prove popular with our 23 million annual passengers.

“As our ten year transformation takes shape and comes to life, we will start to see more and more technological advances and upgrades across the airport ensuring the customer experience is of the highest quality.”