IATA announces increase in electronic ticketing

TICKETING: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that global Electronic Ticketing (ET) penetration in its Billing Settlement Plans (BSPs) rose by 10.4% points during the first quarter and by 20% points year over year to 49%.

142 airlines are now issuing electronic tickets in IATA BSPs, while a further 208 airlines use BSPs to issue only paper tickets. IATA released the results at its industry Simplifying the Business conference being held in Hong Kong.

Compared to the same period last year Europe led all regions with a 25% point increase in ET penetration followed by North Asia (22%), Africa (20%), Asia Pacific (16%), Americas (12%) and Middle East, North Africa (6%).

In North Asia, 11 of the 24 airlines based in the region that use IATA's BSP have issued electronic tickets. Most gains have been made since IATA began coordinating efforts with Chinese airlines, GDS provider Travelsky and the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) in March 2005. Simplifying the business is a national programme in China as that country prepares for the 2008 Olympics.

To reach the 2006 year-end target of 70% set by IATA's Board of Governors, the global monthly penetration rate must increase to nearly 3% per month versus the 1.7% average rise recorded over the past 12 months. In some regions where ET is lagging, such as Middle East, North Africa at 6%, penetration must grow at close to 5% each month until the end of 2007.

In other Simplifying the Business developments, the number of airports using Common Use Self Service (CUSS) check-in rose from 12 to 27 year over year.

The industry target is to have a total of 35 airports operating CUSS by year-end. Additionally during the first three months of the year, IATA signed new memoranda of understanding with JFK, Newark, La Guardia Helsinki and Kuala Lumpur to progressively roll out CUSS.

The number of airlines using IATA standard bar coded boarding passes jumped from 0 to 15 since March 2005. IATA introduced an industry standard for 2 dimensional (2D) bar coded boarding passes late in 2004 to enable their use on interline journeys.

According to the results of a recent BCBP survey conducted by IATA, 74 carriers around the world, representing 76% of traffic, will be using the new standard by the end of 2007.

IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents 265 airlines comprising 94% of international scheduled air traffic.