How mobile scanning transforms airline operations 

AeroTime is excited to welcome Max Stratmann as a guest columnist. Max is CRO of Scanbot SDK, which builds barcode and document scanning software for mobile apps and websites. More than 300 enterprises use the Scanbot SDK in their apps, including global aviation brands like LATAM and Volaris.  

The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AeroTime.    

With an estimated 4.9 billion passengers worldwide in 2024, the number of air travelers has never been higher. Post-pandemic, the digitalization of air travel has also rapidly accelerated. According to a SITA survey, passengers are increasingly willing to adopt new technologies – and appreciate the resulting improvements, with 87% now expressing positive reviews about identity control and 84% about baggage collection.  

The growing technology acceptance is a much-needed opportunity for airlines to better handle the surge in passenger volume and streamline the travel experience. Integrating mobile scanning solutions is a simple yet highly effective way to boost both efficiency and passenger satisfaction. 

Traditional passenger service and luggage handling methods 

Airport operations are a complex dance of airline and terminal services – services that often benefit from automation. Many traditional workflows tie up staff and passengers at particular spots, creating bottlenecks. Among the worst offenders are check-in and various ID checks, from passports and boarding passes to luggage tags.  

Manual data entry is one of the major inefficiencies, especially at check-in. Too often, airport staff are stuck with manually transcribing passenger details from identification documents into the system. While this method does work, it is time-consuming and error-prone, with corrections taking up even more time. This can lead to long queues at check-in counters, frustrating travelers, and straining airport resources.  

Another common hurdle is the use of hardware barcode scanners for processing luggage tags and boarding passes. To begin with, hardware scanners are inflexible: They are bulky and frequently fixed in place. As environments like busy airports – or also retail stores – become more dynamic, they are shifting to mobile solutions.  

Dedicated scanners and check-in hardware are also costly to acquire and maintain. Despite this, they don’t deliver top performance – though the hardware may be specialized, it is often weak. In particular, they often fail to read damaged or poorly printed barcodes, causing delays and necessitating re-scans or manual verification.  

As the weaknesses of legacy methods become more obvious, they are driving demand for more efficient and user-friendly solutions in the check-in process and luggage handling.  

Mobile data capture: Fast, flexible, reliable  

Mobile scanning is transforming the airline industry with solutions that are versatile, speedy, and highly accurate. Passengers are rapidly adopting self-service options like scanning boarding passes or passports directly on their smartphones. They especially appreciate a seamless check-in that doesn’t involve kiosks or counter staff.  

Airport operators, too, are leveraging mobile scanning to optimize operations. For example, staff can use smartphones or tablets with barcode scanning to validate boarding passes quickly. Unlike fixed scan counters, this lets them move freely between gates, assisting passengers wherever they are. The results are faster boarding, less congestion at gates, and a smoother overall flow of passengers through the airport. 

In addition, MRZ (Machine Readable Zone) scanning enables staff to verify identification documents quickly and accurately such as passports or visas, reducing delays at security checkpoints. Similarly, barcode scanning modules can improve baggage handling, ensuring that luggage is correctly tagged and tracked in real-time. This minimizes errors and delays and is especially useful for gate-checking. 

Mobile scanning solutions have also simplified in-flight orders, payments, and inventory management. With accurate tracking of food and beverage supplies, they ensure the plane is always properly restocked, minimizing disruptions and delays.  

Mobile scanning solutions have another substantial advantage: Staff can rely on devices they already use, making the transition seamless and convenient.  

All in all, these solutions not only improve operational efficiency, but also help enhance the passenger experience. Thanks to shorter wait times, real-time baggage information, and less overall frustration, air travelers report higher satisfaction levels. 

Integration and data security considerations 

For the implementation of a mobile scanning solution to be successful, it has to seamlessly integrate with existing systems. This ensures smooth operations across various functions, including passenger services (e.g., check-in) and departure control systems (e.g., gate boarding). Standardized APIs and IATA protocols are used to achieve real-time synchronization of data across these systems, and new components must be compatible.  

To prevent disruptions, airlines often deploy these solutions gradually. They may start with simpler features, like verifying boarding passes, before moving to more complex tasks such as baggage tracking or passenger identification. 

Keeping passenger data safe is just as important as a seamless integration. A mobile scanning solution should therefore operate entirely offline. This ensures that all scans are processed locally on the end device rather than on third party servers. As a result, data stays securely on the device until it is transmitted to the backend system. The transmission itself can be further secured with end-to-end encryption and robust authentication protocols. 

Fully local processing has two additional advantages: Reliable scanning performance even in areas with poor or unstable network connectivity, and no unwanted tracking. 

From boarding pass validation to baggage tracking and document verification, mobile data capture empowers airports and airlines to streamline processes, improve accuracy, maintain security, and create a smoother, more enjoyable travel experience. The post How mobile scanning transforms airline operations  appeared first on AeroTime.

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