Access 2D bar code readers enable bmi to revolutionise airport check-in and boarding
Reading, UK, February, 2009 – Access’ BGR120S, a 2D bar code boarding gate imager, has been successfully evaluated in trials by bmi to read bar code symbols from the displays of mobile phones and PDAs. bmi is the first major European airline to introduce paperless check-in and boarding for passengers. The trials started in early May 2008 using Access imagers, already successful in reading paper-based home printed boarding passes, together with the FirstPass mobile boarding pass platform from Scottish IT solutions provider, Real Time Engineering.
The imager is unique in its ability to read bar codes face-up. This makes it faster and easier to capture the bar code as the agent can easily place the bar code in the target zone and ensure the backlight has not turned itself off. It also eliminates a common problem with inadvertent dialing when reading face down on a flat-bed imager. The QR, DataMatrix or Aztec bar codes are simply sent by the airline over the phone network to customers’ mobile phones as a multimedia message (MMS) or WAP push via a link.
Access also provided a complementary receipt printer, which the trial has shown can double the speed of boarding. Printed receipts may be needed when boarding an aircraft that is re-fuelling. The printer can be configured to produce two receipts, one for the passenger for the final stage of the boarding process and one for the airline for passenger reconciliation, where required by the airline.
Alaistair Deacon, Real Time Engineering’s technical director, said, “This technology will become popular with business travelers who will be able to check-in via their mobile phones with no need to queue at the airport. It cuts costs for airlines too, and the same technology is used to send passengers immediate flight updates.”
Real Time Engineering worked with IATA, the global airline standards body, for two years to develop the standard, which will be used by all airlines. Following the successful trial by bmi at London Heathrow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast, other airlines are expressing interest in FirstPass.
David Menezes, bmi’s senior product and development manager said, “FirstPass was attractive as a simple, effective solution that our passengers would find easy to use. The trial has exceeded our expectations and has been extremely popular with passengers. We believe that the technology will go from strength-to-strength over the next few years. The bar code readers have proven themselves to be very robust and reliable in operation, and the accompanying receipt printers are invaluable in saving us further time and expense in boarding passengers.”
The same technology is creating interest from other public transport organisations and from companies that run concerts and sports events.
Links
Click here to view our range of products for the airline and airport industries