Newstrack

Abacus on target to meet IATA deadline for e-ticketing

EAW Staff - Mumbai

Abacus International issued 7.5 million electronic air tickets in the first half of 2007, 37 per cent more than the last six months of 2006. President and CEO of Abacus International, Don Birch said that as of June 2007, the proportion of airline tickets issued as electronic tickets by the company now stands at 67 per cent, generated by 63 airlines in the region, up from 48 at the end of last year.

"As of today 97 per cent of Abacus tickets are e-ticket (ET) enabled, placing Abacus and our airline partners on target ahead of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)'s goal of 96.5 per cent ET-readiness by the end of May 2008," Birch said.

Nevertheless, Birch welcomed the recent decision by (IATA) to extend the deadline for electronic ticketing to 31 May 2008, and to target 96.5 per cent adoption as opposed to the original 100 per cent.

"The revised deadline and slightly reduced target for the overall proportion of e-ticketing is more realistic looking across all the carriers in the industry and will allow a more orderly transition and more time for system enhancements and converting interline ET agreements."