Amadeus said there was a strong demand for e-ticketing technology from the airline industry.

A global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, Amadeus, said it was a direct result of IATA’s 'Simplifying the Business' campaign.

Aimed at reducing cost and making effective use of existing technology, IATA’s campaign will see the airline industry migrate to 100 per cent e-ticketing, the deadline for which though originally set for December 31, 2007, has now been extended to May 31, 2008, said a company official.  

'In addition to saving the aviation industry up to $3 billion annually, this move will also save cost and increase efficiency for travellers and travels agents across the globe,' Amadeus Gulf director sales for Dubai and Northern Emirates Faris Azzee said.

According to an Air Traffic Forecast Advisory by Airports Council International (ACI) the annual average increase in people leaving and coming through UAE’s airports is estimated at 6.7 per cent from 2006 to 2025.

Similarly, a long-term forecast by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predict that earnings from inbound visitors to UAE will grow by 7.2 per cent annually till 2015, a feat made possible largely due to UAE's fast growing profile as a sought-after MICE and holiday destination.

With the rise in travellers moving in and through the UAE and need to effectively meet IATA’s requirements, it is crucial that all airlines put in place a system that will allow them to make the most of the benefits gained through e-ticketing, he said. 

Factors such as, a need for faster  implementation of a complete ticketing platform and a simplified access to the industry’s largest e-ticket interlining community will be the key drivers that will enable airlines to meet the deadline, Azzee noted.

As a preferred IATA partner, Amadeus provides the airlines industry with solutions from its leading ticketing portfolio designed to help carriers comply with the 'Simplifying the Business' initiative.

In the region, leading airlines such as, Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airlines, Egypt Air, Qatar Airways, have migrated to the Amadeus Ticketing Platform (ATP) inorder to meet IATA’s deadline of 100 per cent e-ticketing.

“The strength of our technology, the extent of our interlining community and the ability of our teams to implement solutions quickly and seamlessly, has been key to our continued success in this area. We are committed to ensuring that all airlines, irrespective of their size and geography, are able to meet the deadline by May 2008,” he added. TradeArabia News Service