Almaty and Astana airports to introduce e-boarding passes

Kazakhstan authorities expect that e-boarding technology will decrease passenger waiting times (Photo by Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development)

Astana and Almaty airports, located in Kazakhstan’s capital and largest city, respectively, plan to introduce an electronic boarding pass regime. The alternative paperless passenger check-in method will become effective before the end of this year, reported the Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development.

The introduction of electronic boarding passes has been discussed with representatives of the Kazakh branch of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in partnership with the national air carrier, Air Astana. Authorities expect that this innovation will decrease passenger waiting times, the Ministry for Investments and Development explained, since the e-boarding passes will reveal travelers who, after having not registered on-line, will not arrive to their flights.

At present, the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee is introducing necessary legislative changes in the field of air passenger transport for the project to be properly implemented.

Kazakhstan can become a first post-Soviet republic that introduce electronic boarding pass regime. A paper boarding-pass is mandatory to get through to a departure gate in Russia today. It can be printed either at home, at an airport check-in desk, or, if possible, at one of the self-service kiosks.

In 2013, an experiment of boarding passes was conducted at Sheremetyevo Airport: paper boarding passes were refused and passengers were let through on the basis of data obtained from their mobile phones, C-News reports, citing the Moscow airport’s IT-director Igor Khokhlov. The Asteros System Integrator provided the technical part of the experiment. In 2013, Vnukovo Airport had a similar experience involving Transaero Airlines. However, e-boarding passes are not accepted at Russian airports today.