Self-help is the best help. And, in this case, a big time-saver too!

Passengers flying out of Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi may skip the conventional system of queuing up in front of airline counters to collect their boarding passes and instead use the self check-in kiosk, which debuted at the domestic lounge on Monday.

Also, if all goes according to plan, the capital's air transit point would soon boast wireless fidelity and aerobridges to enhance passenger convenience.

Ganesh Prasad Hela, the GM of air terminal management and aviation safety with Airports Authority of India, who inaugurated the self check-in kiosk along with airport director Raju Raghvendra Kumar, said the facility would buffer peak-time rush.

'At times, standing in queues to choose seats and collect boarding passes can become cumbersome. Passengers can beat the inconvenience through self check-in,' Hela told The Telegraph after launching the facility.

On how the kiosk functions, an airport official explained that a passenger would have to select the airline logo on the touchscreen, enter the PNR number given on the e-ticket or the flight number and other details as asked, and press 'next' on the screen to choose preferred seats. 'The boarding pass will be generated and printed immediately after seats are selected. After that, one can directly head for security check-in,' he said.

There is a catch though. 'Only passengers carrying cabin baggage can avail of the facility. Self check-in is not allowed if one wants to check in their luggage too. The check-in time too will remain the same. Generally, we ask passengers to report 45 minutes prior to departure. That won't change,' the airport official added.

Ganesh Reddy, consular warden for Jharkhand at British High Commission and secretary of Citizen Foundation, an NGO working in multiple states, welcomed the self check-in facility. 'Although passenger footfall is less at Ranchi airport compared to other cities, the number of fliers to Delhi and Calcutta has increased of late. I had started using web check-in to avoid rush. Now, I can check in by myself at the airport too,' he said.

Incidentally, the multi-crore integrated airport terminal, which debuted in Ranchi around two years ago, is still waiting to become truly international. On the domestic front, passengers can directly fly to Delhi, Patna, Calcutta and Bangalore on a daily basis. Three airlines - Indigo, Jet and Air India - are the prominent service providers.

Hela conceded that the international terminal was yet to become operational in the real sense, but pleaded that flights were beyond their jurisdiction. 'We can provide facilities, but for the international wing to take off, we need airlines to come. As far as our airport is concerned, it is ready to host international flights,' he said.

Birsa airport authorities said they were leaving no stone unturned to improve passenger amenities. Besides trying to convert the transit zone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, they are also gearing up to commission the twin aerobridges. Airport director Raghvendra said they were eyeing a January 15 debut. 'Work on the aerobridges is almost over except for technical issues that will be sorted out soon,' he added.

A senior airport official said the Wi-Fi project had been stuck because of a tender jinx. 'We floated tenders twice last year, but no one turned up. Same was the case with the snacks bar on the ground floor,' he claimed. But, Raghvendra sounded optimistic. 'Another round of tender is already out. I don't exactly remember the date, but you can soon expect positive results,' he said.