The global airline industry will save up to $1.5 billion every year with the implementation of the 2D bar-coded boarding passes (BCBP).
This is according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which revealed the 100% worldwide switch to 2D boarding passes.
Airports Company South Africa introduced the self-service system that allows passengers to book tickets online or via their mobile phones, as well as print their own boarding passes in September last year.
According to IATA, the completion of the project gives passengers greater choice for check-in at home, at a kiosk, on a mobile device or at an airport check-in counter.
“BCBP also allows airlines to issue a single, printed boarding pass for multiple flights, simplifying the journey for passengers with flight connections or those travelling on different airlines,” it says.
The 2D barcode verification system is the new standard in air travel that has been adopted by the IATA and it replaces the previous generation of more expensive and less efficient magnetic stripe boarding passes, the association points out.
Vital stride
IATA's director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, says the magnetic stripe boarding passes are on their way to a history museum next to the paper ticket.
“After electronic ticketing in 2008, the conversion to BCBP is the next important step to provide passengers with more convenience and choice.” Completing many tasks during the journey will now take seconds with the swipe of a bar code, he adds.
Bisignani says the conversion to printed 2D boarding has been a five-year project. Airlines issue over two billion boarding passes every year and with this technology, the airline industry will save billions, he adds.
The STB Matchmaker is a free of charge tool provided by IATA. It is designed to bring together a community of users working together to implement STB projects. This tool operates on a secure Web portal and allows airline and airport cooperation in planning and driving STB implementations.
The association says, STB Matchmaker allows airlines and airports to exchange, prioritise and coordinate implementation requests in order to efficiently plan the rollout of the global standard.
“The tool provides information on 3 000 airport terminals and over 200 airlines, creating a worldwide database of over 10 000 records. The STB Matchmaker system will be expanded during the year to facilitate the IATA e-services and other fast travel projects.”
According to IATA, this new technology opens the door for automated access to premium services. “For example, with a scan of a BCBP, eligible passengers can access fast-track security lanes or lounges,” it says.
The organisation also revealed that, nearly 30 airlines now offer mobile BCBP and use is expected to grow significantly in the short-term.
“With more and more airlines offering the possibility to receive the bar code via a mobile device, we are well on the way to truly paperless travel,” it adds.
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