Melbourne Airport’s new domestic Terminal 4 has opened for business, with Tigerair Australia becoming the first airline to operate services from the self-service facility. At present, 10 self-service check-in kiosks and automated bag drops are in operation, while roaming agents are also on-hand to check-in passengers.
Lorie Argus, Executive – Operations, Melbourne Airport, said: “Today is an important milestone in the two-year construction phase of Terminal 4. We are really proud to welcome Tigerair and its passengers to our new T4. Today is the first step in an exciting programme of works that will continue in and around the new Terminal 4 over the next few months. This includes the opening of more shops, completion of more aircraft parking bays, and a transport hub that incorporates car parking, passenger drop-off and pick-up zones, a taxi rank and bus interchange. Tigerair’s existing facilities will also be refurbished and we’ll soon be welcoming Jetstar and Regional Express.”
Tigerair Australia flight TT206 departed for Sydney on the morning of Tuesday 18 August and ahead of that flight the carrier’s CEO, Rob Sharp, said: “The move to our new home here in Melbourne is another significant milestone for Tigerair Australia as our transformation strategy continues to gather momentum. The new terminal is symbolic of the new Tigerair, reflecting a step change from the old terminal with which our customers are familiar. The new-look Terminal 4 provides a vastly improved customer experience at our busiest domestic port and is the first terminal in the Asia Pacific region to feature fully automated self-service check in facilities.”
The airline’s check-in staff will be completely mobile, making use of iPads to check-in passengers instead of being based behind a traditional check-in desk. Staff will also be on-hand at all times to offer assistance to passengers who are using the kiosks and bag drops.
Sharp added: “With the combination of the new-look Terminal 4 facilities and our roaming check in staff using the Max iPad app, our passengers will be able to check in more efficiently than ever before at Melbourne Airport. As technology continues to evolve, we will never be complacent and we already have many more customer facing innovations in the pipeline which we will announce in due course.”
