The International Air Transport Association has
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.

 
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