IATA Announces New Standard for Mobile Phone Check-In

The International Air Transport Association has announced a new global standard that permits global mobile phone check-in using two-dimensional bar codes.

Mobile phone check-in enables airlines to send 2D bar codes directly to a passenger’s mobile phone, personal digital assistant or smart phone. Passengers simply register their mobile number with their airline at the time of booking to receive a text message with a 2D bar code, or instructions to download it. The bar code becomes the passenger’s boarding pass and it is read directly from the screen of the mobile device, eliminating paper completely from the check-in process.

Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of IATA, said: “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. The creation of a standard code is only part of the solution.

“In the next months we will be working with our members to develop standardized processes and guidelines that facilitate global implementation.”