Airlines zoom into e-ticketing zone to meet global norms

New Delhi: Under pressure from the global trade body, International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) to move to e-tickets by March 31, 2008, the industry has quickly moved from a low 65% compliance earlier this year to a high of 82.5% as of last month.
According to Amadeus, an airline ticket-booking platform, in 2006 number of e-tickets sold (by Indian carriers and international carriers for their flights from India) was five million. As compared to this in first nine months itself of 2007 this figure has already touched 13 million.
Air India and Indian (both now part of the National Aviation Company of India), JetLite and Jet Airways are IATA members while Kingfisher has applied for the membership. The deadline was extended because the e-ticketing penetration in the Asia-Pacific region was only 76.8%, which is much lower compared with the global average of 84% (as per July end data).
A paper ticket costs $7-8 for an international transaction and $3-4 for a domestic transaction. Implementing 100% e-ticketing will help the aviation industry globally in saving $3 billion annually.
20/10/07 Vishakha Talreja/Economic Times

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: General Aviation Oct 2007, New Oct 2007