الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study aims at introducing a new system perspective and design for the commonly adopted baggage check-in systems in airports. The research question asked in this study is what could be done to enhance the check-in process in airports. A literature review was performed to disclose the current developments regarding the check-in process. However, the literature revealed a clear gap regarding the lack of solutions available for passengers while doing the baggage weighing, where passengers are required to do manually the main part of baggage handling process of loading and unloading. On the other hand, basing the study on literature gap alone wasn’t enough due to the fact that this is a practical study having actual implementation, where the decision of altering or substituting the check-in system is directly correlated and affecting the check-in system stakeholders, where passengers are the most important party. Consequently, passengers were the first to be involved in this decision as they are the main motive for system change. Therefore, a prerequisite detailed survey with an accepted sample of 215 responses, based on an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), was then performed to study the passengers’ technology readiness (TR) concept regarding their willingness and their true affecting underlying factors to utilize a new technological check-in system in airports. The survey results showed the obvious inclination of passengers to adopt self-service-check-in (SSCI) technologies, in general. In addition, it showed passengers’ clear preference to use the new check-in technology. Moreover, responses revealed passengers’ leaning to utilize any additional technology in case of necessity. They opt to accept using a new mobile application along with a new check-in technology, in case they are late for a flight, instead of paying extra money on delay fees. Moreover, factor analysis results showed that 5 factors representing 18 variables are affecting the TR of passengers to use the new check-in technology. The first factor was labeled as technological passion represented by 4 variables which are playfulness, enjoyment, optimism, and insecurity. The second factor was labeled as technological practicality represented by 5 variables which are self-service experience and habit, self-care versus preference of personal service, usefulness, ease of use, and discomfort. The third factor was labeled as traditional orientation represented by 3 variables which are traditional check-in manned counter (TCI) experience and habit, need for interaction, and age. The fourth factor was labeled as self-experience and necessity represented by 3 variables which are gender, travel frequency, and compatibility. Finally, the fifth factor was labeled as personal preference and will represented by 3 variables which are power of intentionality and will, class, and risk.
Consequently, based on the literature gap and survey outcomes, an automated, user-friendly, and ergonomic system is presented targeting passengers’ satisfaction while doing the check-in process and saving time for the airport/airline companies, with the consideration of governmental regulations regarding aviation standards. A new baggage cart is introduced with the capability of doing the weighing process without stoppage till reaching the area where baggage is placed on the dispatching conveyor through an integrated automated system. The concept used for the cart weighing process is based on the weight-in-motion system (WIM) adopted exclusively with weighing trucks on the highways. The design of the cart was based on several perspectives. Passengers’ requirements were the main perspective identified mainly through a performed survey which targeted cart and system design. Passengers were questioned about several aspects regarding the points of strength and weaknesses of the current available baggage airport carts and their suggestions for improvements. In addition, other crucial perspectives were taken into consideration in the design, which are the aviation standards, ergonomics principles, and literature findings including available commercial carts. Finally, the resulted system design was tested through simulation modeling to verify the possible time savings for the check-in process. A discrete-event simulation model was presented for several currently adopted alternatives of airports’ check-in methods in addition to the new check-in technology, through various policies of passengers’ intake flow of random, round robin (RR), First Available (FA), and join shortest queue (JSQ). About 65 Simulation runs were performed using a specialized simulation package through varying the different policies with altering the number of servers, using different check-in methods. Each run had 2 SSCI methods and one TCI. SSCI and the new baggage carts were the SSCI used methods which were followed by self-bag DROP (SBD) station to deliver the baggage. In addition, TCI were used as the other available alternative to SSCI to perform both functions of check-in and baggage DROP in one step. Systems were tested for a period of an accelerated 24 hours to mimic the actual airport working hours. Results revealed that new baggage carts were the highest utilized among different check-in systems through various policies. Particularly, RR showed the highest utilization percentages among all policies, which is also the most recommended policy regarding the time spent in the system. This could lead to a conclusion that the adoption of the new baggage carts, as a predominate check-in system, using the RR policy would lead to the best flow of passengers and minimum queue waiting times. Therefore, the study showed less time consumption with the new check-in technology; consequently, more gains and higher service level for the passengers and airport/air