CUSS 2 - Benefits from a technical and Business perspective

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In the follwoing section, Elevation AI outline some of the benefits from both the technical and business perspectives. This change is far reaching in how and what it enables airlines to deliver, how quickly and how securely.

CUSS 2 is a complete overhaul of the original CUSS 1.x standard, designed to modernize airport self-service infrastructure:

Modern Architecture

• Removes legacy CORBA and Java dependencies.
• Adopts web technologies like HTML5, JSON, OpenAPI, OAuth2, TLS > 1.2, and WebSockets.
• Enables browser independence and responsive design for multiple screen formats.

Security by Design

• Implements secure communication protocols to mitigate cyber risks.
• Supports compliance with PCI DSS (payment security) and GDPR (data privacy).
• Certification processes ensure protection against denial-of-service and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Device Flexibility

• Expands beyond kiosks to include bag drops, tablets, and mobile devices, aligning with IATA’s OneID and AIDM standards.
• Supports contactless and handheld devices for touchless travel.

Developer-Friendly

• Simplified APIs and SDKs allow web developers to build applications without legacy skills.
• Faster release cycles and alpha/beta programs encourage innovation and quicker deployment.
• Automation-tested APIs improve stability and reduce maintenance overhead

From an operational and strategic standpoint, CUSS 2 delivers significant benefits for airports, airlines, and passengers:

Cost Efficiency

• Shared infrastructure reduces hardware and maintenance costs.
• Modern web-based development lowers application build and upkeep expenses.
• Shorter release cycles mean faster updates and reduced downtime.

Operational Flexibility

• Supports scalable deployment across diverse airport environments without costly expansions.
• Predictable certification and release cycles ensure smoother rollouts.

Enhanced Passenger Experience

• Faster check-in, seat selection, and baggage tagging reduce wait times.
• Browser independence and responsive design improve usability across devices.
• Contactless and mobile integration align with traveler expectations for seamless journeys.

Strategic Impact

• Strengthens airport autonomy by standardizing across platforms and vendors.
• Future-proofs infrastructure against end-of-life technologies (CUSS 1.x standards will be deprecated as of 31st December 2025).
• Positions airports to handle growing passenger volumes without proportional increases in staffing or physical infrastructure.

Risks & Considerations

• Migration Costs: Transitioning from CUSS 1.x requires application refreshes and certification, which demand upfront investment.
• Timeline Pressure: The original IATA presented date Airports and Airlines should have completed their migrations was before January 2026, when CUSS 1.x standards are deprecated. This means there is now increased pressure to deliver a CUSS 2 platform as well as CUSS 2 Applications
• Vendor Coordination: Success depends on collaboration among airlines, airports, and technology providers to ensure interoperability.

In order to support the migration efforts Vendors such as Elevation provide a bridge enabling CUSS 1 applications to run on CUSS 2 as well as enabling CUSS 2 applications to operate on CUSS 1 platforms. This will enable airlines and Airports to plan for the migration without having to segregate CUSS 1 kiosks and CUSS 2 kiosks which would further complicate the operations of both the airports and airlines.