Analysing airport check-in process efficiency: automated machines vs. human operators

Airport check-in is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. Across small and medium-sized airports — the focus of our simulation study — the data points clearly in one direction: automated self-service is displacing the traditional agent-led model. The operational case is compelling, but the transition is rarely clean, and the inefficiencies hiding beneath the surface are where the real story lies.

Our analysis goes beyond the headline shift toward automation. Using capacity modelling across peak and off-peak periods, we examine how check-in equipment should be allocated between airlines — accounting for schedule density, passenger volumes, and seasonal demand patterns. The findings challenge the assumption that automation alone solves throughput. Deployment strategy matters just as much as the technology itself.