Case Study: Etihad Airways achieves a faster, more personalized check-in experience with IBM Cloud and IBM Consulting

An ambitious digitization project makes airport check-ins fast and easy

Etihad Airways wanted to modernize its aging web check-in system and create a more personalized, frictionless digital travel experience that better matched its premium in-flight service. Working with IBM, the airline used IBM Cloud, IBM Garage, and IBM Consulting to replace an end-of-life off-the-shelf application and support a broader digital transformation.

IBM implemented a microservices-based, containerized solution using IBM Cloud Kubernetes Service, IBM API Connect, and prebuilt common travel services, enabling faster integration with complex back-end airline systems. The new web check-in platform was delivered in just 15 weeks instead of the originally expected nine months, now generates 1,700 WhatsApp boarding passes and 4,000 email boarding passes daily, and has helped reduce future maintenance costs while improving speed, resilience, and personalization.

Etihad Airways

Takhliq Hanif

Head of Group Enterprise Architecture, Technology and Innovation