OREANDA-NEWS. August 27, 2007. Total number of electronic tickets issued by Aeroflot during six months amounted to more than 100 thousand. Aeroflot is the first Russian air carrier which implemented and opened sales of full-grown electronic tickets, reported the press-centre of OJSC "Aeroflot".

Aeroflot started process of transition to electronic tickets in May, 2007, when it opened their mutual sale with associated air companies in Sky Team for flights Aeromexico, Continental, Korean Air, KLM, and Delta. In April Aeroflot activated electronic tickets in foreign agent net. This allowed the company to sell electronic tickets in clearing settlement systems of the International Air Transport Association IATA in nearly 50 countries. Since June Aeroflot started to issue electronic tickets in RF, regularly enlarging sales geography in Russian internal route net. Today Aeroflot electronic tickets are sold by private sales department in Russia, and abroad by foreign agent net.

Aeroflot distributes its electronic tickets by means of partners by interline agreement. Corresponding agreements are made with air companies KLM, Aeromexico, Continental, Delta, Korean Air, NorthWest, Alitalia, Kenia Airways, United Airlines, Copa, Mexicana, British Airways, Air Malta, Air Canada и Swiss. By September, 1st it is planned to implement electronic interline with China Southern и Air Eurора.

In June experimental project for issuance of electronic tickets by means of Amadeus GDS with Sabre GDS involvement started.

Moreover, since June it is possible to register passengers with Aeroflot electronic tickets in airports, served by the Gaetan system (Paris, Nice, London, Washington, Belgrade, Beirut).

Today electronic ticket technology is used on 40 routes of the air company, towards the end of the year this number will grow up to 60, and in 2008 Aeroflot plans to make all its route net electronic.

According to deputy general director – director of information technology department Sergey Kirjushin, speed, with which electronic ticket technology is implemented, gives us hope that Aeroflot in accord with IATA requirements, will be able to 100% transition to electronic tickets in 2008.