Airline trials boarding pass texts

[26th May 2008]

Passengers on some flights with airline bmi from Heathrow airport will soon be able to receive their boarding pass via their mobile phone.

The airline is trialling the new system on flights between Heathrow and Manchester airport, Edinburgh airport and Belfast City airport for a three month period.

The boarding pass will be texted to passengers who check in online in the form of a barcode. In order to use the service passengers will need a mobile phone that is able to receive picture messages. The paperless system will mean that passengers do not the need to print their boarding pass.

Once at the airport the barcode on the mobile phone will be scanned at security and at the boarding gate. To prevent use by more than one passenger the barcode will not work after it has been scanned once at security and the boarding gate.

Bmi is the first British airline to try this new technology and if the trial is successful it is expected to be extended to more airports and destinations.

The airline hopes the new mobile phone text service will mean passengers need to spend less time queuing at the airport. Passengers without cabin baggage will be able to avoid check in altogether.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is encouraging airlines to use paperless ticketing. From 1st June IATA will no longer be issuing paper tickets. It claims that using eticketing will save the aviation industry around $3 billion a year.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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