Air travelers in Germany will soon be able to complete the entire check-in process digitally at airports, leading to significantly shorter waiting times. Federal Minister for Transport Patrick Schnieder (CDU) told “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that the goal is to make the check-in process more efficient, substantially reduce waiting times, and enable a consistently digital and secure clearance process, though this will be voluntary.
To facilitate this change, the federal government plans to introduce a draft law via a cabinet decision this Wednesday. Schnieder stated that the changes will benefit both travelers and the economy, projecting savings of approximately 1.1 million hours of waiting time annually, alongside an annual relief of about 63 million euros. Furthermore, the modernization is expected to help mitigate potential staffing shortages during peak travel times by reducing the need for personnel at the gates.
This update is expected to become operational for travelers during the summer months. Airlines will gain the capability to read data from travel passports or identity cards, particularly those containing a chip, and utilize this information for digital check-ins.
Currently, all steps of the flight clearance process, from check-in to boarding the aircraft, largely occur manually. Moving forward, the digital travel chain is intended to function continuously. However, the Minister added that the traditional, manual clearance method will remain available. According to Schnieder, the digital travel chain is part of the government’s planned comprehensive effort to ease congestion across the transport sector.
