All airlines to start e-ticketing from June

Paper tickets issued by airlines world over will soon become a thing of the past. All major carriers, including those from India, would stop issuing paper tickets, adhering to International Air Transport Association's (IATA) June 1 deadline for starting 100 per cent e-ticketing.

The move, being carried out by airlines across the globe, would enable savings of an estimated $3 billion per year, excluding the cut in costs of transaction and back-office paper work.

"An estimated five billion A4 sheets were needed to print paper tickets per annum. Twice that number were required for back-office paper work," Bird Group executive director Ankur Bhatia and Amadeus CEO Rakesh Bansal said. E-ticketing would save so much of paper.

Amadeus not only introduced e-ticketing in India almost five years ago, but also trained almost 6,000 CISF personnel stationed at airports across the country to identify the e-tickets, Bhatia said.

The IATA had decided to implement e-ticketing globally by the end of 2007, but the deadline was extended till May 31 this year.

The airlines operating in India, which have introduced almost cent per cent e-ticketing already, include Jet Airways, Indian (now Air India), Kingfisher Airlines and JetLite.

Foreign carriers like British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Sri Lankan Airlines, Emirates and GulfAir have also started 100 per cent e-ticketing facility, Bhatia said.

As per latest IATA figures, airlines in India that came in the race for e-ticketing late issue only three per cent paper tickets. This would also cease to exist by June 1, Bhatia said, adding that 70 of the 77 carriers operating in India sold e-tickets last year.

The Amadeus official said passengers would now onwards have more self-service kiosks for check-in. They can enter the airport showing their PNR numbers on a printed itinerary or an SMS on their mobile.

Bird Group's Bhatia said Amadeus had also introduced a technology for travel agents to store information regarding air travellers through the PNR, which could also be used by immigration and customs officials.

He said the concerned government agencies like the FRRO and immigration department have already been sensitised on the issue.

Another travel technology company, Galileo, which has developed e-ticketing technology worldwide, also said the e-ticket has now become a legal document with passengers identifying their airline and itinerary on their e-tickets.