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Published on October 13, 2007

Under the system, airlines send two-dimensional (2D) bar codes directly to a passenger's cellphone, personal digital assistant or smart phone. Passengers simply register their mobile number with their airline at the time of booking and receive a text message with the 2D bar code, or instructions to download it.

The bar code becomes the boarding pass and is read directly from the screen of the mobile device, completely eliminating paper from the check-in process.

"Passengers want the convenience of self-service options in a paperless environment. This standard is an important step in getting rid of paper that bogs down processes and drives up costs," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO.

Global applications of mobile-phone technology for airlines have been restricted due to different regional formats. The IATA standard uses the existing codes Aztec and Datamatrix, which are used extensively in Europe and North America, and QR, which is widely used in Japan. All three are proven technologies and can be read by a single scanner type that is cost-effective and readily available globally.

"The creation of a standard code is only part of the solution," said Bisignani. "In the next months we will be working with our members to develop standardised processes and guidelines that facilitate global implementation."

The industry has set the end of 2010 as the deadline for full implementation bar-coded boarding passes (BCBPs). Upon full implementation, BCBPs will save the industry more than US$500 million (Bt17 billion) annually.

A 2D standard for paper bar-coded boarding passes was established in 2005 and is the basis for online check-ins. Both mobile and paper-based standards can be issued and accepted by airlines globally.

The global introduction of BCBPs to replace magnetic-strip technology is one of five "Simplifying the Business" (StB) projects launched by IATA in 2004.

The Nation