Fly paper-free in New Year, soft tickets are in

From January 1, fliers do not need to carry printouts of electronic tickets. Soft displays on laptop, tablets or phones will do, an order issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) says.

It is a new year for fliers as paper-free travel is here.

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From January 1, fliers do not need to carry printouts of electronic tickets. Soft displays on laptop, tablets or phones will do, an order issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) says.

“The order comes in force from January 1, 2013,” an aviation ministry official said, requesting anonymity. A photo identity, as before, will be a must.

“Not only will this move help thousands of passengers, it’s an environment-friendly gesture that will save paper and electricity,” said the official.

Tagging and stamping of the cabin baggage is next on the ‘junked list’, say government sources.

“If a cabin bag is not stamped, the passenger has to go all the way back to the check-in area. It is an unnecessary headache for everyone — passengers, airline staff and security personnel,” he said.

Tagging of carry-on bags has been done away with in most countries. India is one of the few countries still practicing it. It costs airlines a lot — both in terms of money and manpower.