Come August, fliers would not have to wait for boarding passes in long queues, thanks to the introduction of the Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE).

The CUTE would bring all the 10 check-in terminals on one platform, enabling airlines to use any of them in rush hours. SITA— an aviation information and technology service provider — would launch the passenger-friendly equipment at the city airport, one of the 25 aerodromes in the country for which an agreement has been signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and SITA in February.

At present, IndiGo and Jet Airways have three check-in counters, whereas GoAir and Air India have two counters each. Under the CUTE check-in system, boarding pass of any these airlines can be issued from any counter. When there is rush at the counters of a particular airline, its officials can use any vacant CUTE counter to distribute the passenger load.

“At present, if an airline does not have a flight at a given time, its counter remains empty even if there are long queues at the adjacent counters. But such a thing would be passé once the CUTE is launched, as airlines’ officials would be able to switch over to any vacant counter when in need. Moreover, overcrowding at the check-in area would also be avoided and delay in departure of flights because of congestion at check-in counters can be done away with under the new CUTE system,” said a source at the city airport.

According to sources, the work for the installation of the CUTE started at Patna airport in the last week of May. The process is expected to be complete by July 29.

Patna airport director Arvind Dubey told The Telegraph on Wednesday: “The CUTE-based system would allow faster check-in and ensure accuracy, safety and security in passenger departure operations. It would reduce the waiting time of passengers in front of the dedicated check-in counters of the airlines. The CUTE system is being installed by a team of SITA. The installation and testing works are in the final stages.”

At present, all airlines at the city airport use their own departure control software. For instance, Air India uses the software Liaison, developed by SITA. GoAir uses Radix and Jet Airways uses Fabre under their departure control system at Patna airport.

Under the new system, all airlines would integrate their software with SITA’s CUTE network.

The 10 existing dedicated counters of different airlines would be replaced with CUTE check-in counters. Sources claimed that tenders for new CUTE counters had been floated.

Sources said IndiGo, Air India and Jet Airways have already started operating on CUTE check-in system.

Fliers are upbeat about the the new integrated check-in system.

A frequent flier said: “I’m tired of waiting in front of check-in counters. At times, it is very agonising standing with hand baggage”.

Standing in a spiral queue in front of a check-in counter, he added: “I hope the new system will cut the waiting time significantly.”

Proposals are also there for the installation of CUTE kiosks at Patna airport similar to those at Mumbai airport, where people would be able to do self check-in. Similar CUTE-based software, termed baggage reconciliation system that handles the registered baggage of passengers through hand-held bar code reader, has also been proposed.

Card reader

The boarding card reader facility would be functional at the city airport within two days. It would be in use in rush hours.

Passengers would have to place their boarding passes on top of the card reader at the departure gates to confirm their boarding in the flight.