IATA Looks At Augmenting Base In Wake Of Pilot Domestic BSP

Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai

In the wake of the historic launch of India's domestic Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) under the stewardship of Indian Airlines, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expecting a windfall in applications for IATA accreditation from some 800 plus non-IATA agents. IATA received 309 applications for IATA accreditation for the year 2004.

The recent move by India's three leading domestic carriers, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air Sahara led to the formation of a Domestic Working Group (DWG), chaired by Indian Airlines that has frozen on procedural matters relevant to the domestic BSP pilot that is currently being implemented in four metro cities. The DWG was advised on the same by BSP India, a division of IATA.

According to an IATA representative, "The domestic BSP pilot that has been rolled out in 51 locations across four metros could see a rise in the number of new applications for IATA accreditation. There are still some procedural issues to be ironed out however. We believe that there are anywhere between 600 to 800 non IATA agents that are involved in domestic ticketing who may want to be part of the domestic BSP. While there the financial criterion and ticket stock security for international and domestic BSP is virtually just as well, there are other aspects on which the DWG is still to decide. The IATA representative desisted from comment on the same but said that there was a likelihood that a lot of potentially new converts could stick to domestic ticketing.”