AN AIRPORT is trialling a new way of entering planes which could cut boarding times.

Gatwick Airport will test a number of different techniques to find which is the most efficient.

These include passengers boarding from the back row to the front filling window seats first, then middle seats and leaving aisle seats until last.

It is doing this “in a bid to avoid queues and congestion at gates”.
Large screens and staff will be placed at Gate 101 to show passengers the order to board.

Passengers who have booked priority boarding – or those who require special assistance or are travelling with young families – will still board first.

Abhi Chacko, the airport’s head of enabling technologies and digital innovation, said: “We want to explore whether boarding by seat number will avoid queues in the gate room and when boarding the aircraft.

“This new technique has the potential to reduce the overall boarding time. 

“By communicating to passengers better and boarding passengers by seat number, we also expect to make the whole boarding experience more relaxing and, potentially, prevent  passengers rushing forward at any stage.”