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Departure Control System

Overview

The eTARS Aviation Management Systems Departure Control System (eDCS) is a comprehensive and easy to use.

eDCS can centralize the departure control for your airline, it can be used as a DCS for a single airport as well as for multiple airports at the same time.

eDCS works as a stand-alone departure control system or it works as an integrated part of your or our eRes reservation system.

In the stand-alone version eDCS communicates to the reservation system using the IATA standard PNL, ADL and DEL files as sent by the host reservation systems.

For those cases where there is no connection to the passenger database, eDCS supports loading the PNL, ADL and DEL files, generated by the host system, by sending an email to eDCS. eDCS then loads, modified or deletes the inventory according to the file being handled and places this information into the local database for check-in. At the completion of the check-in operation an email is generated and transmitted, that contains all of the check-in information, back to the host system. In eDCS, this email automatically updates the database.

Complete tracking, accounting and reporting of the checked-in reservations are provided. A complete set of utilities complement the accounting process.

Passenger Check-in

Open Check-In

Before the passengers can check-in, the system must be "opened for check-in". This is accomplished by the person designated, this is usually a person in Flight Operations or a designated person at the station.

Once the flight is opened for check-in, the flight belongs to the check-in. Only check-in can make changes or reservations. The on-line booking system is no longer allowed to make reservation or changes to this flight. Off-site check-in locations are also restricted from checking-in passengers.

Passenger Check-in Counter

The airport check-in functions provided are:

  • Check-in
  • Baggage
  • Booking a New Passenger
  • Handling the "Wait Listed" Passengers
  • Cancellations
  • Re-bookings
  • Up-Grades
  • Down-Grades
  • Walk-Ups
  • No Shows
  • Stand-by
  • Infants
  • Lap Children
  • Un-Accompanied Minors
  • Special Needs
    • Wheel Chairs
    • Catering Interface
    • Assistance In Boarding
    • Special Baggage
    • Medical Considerations
    • Animals
  • Special Charges
  • Print eTickets If Required.
  • APrint Boarding Passes
  • Automated Baggage Tags
  • Optional RFID Bag Tag Recording
  • Scanning Of eTickets For Check-In
  • Off-Line Or On-Line Operation
  • Acceptance And Recording Of Other Airline's eTickets or IATA/ICAO Standard Tickets
  • Baggage Interlining
  • Passenger Internet Check-In
  • Off Site Check-In For Airline Or Agents
  • Security, Agents Only Have Access to Applications That Are Needed For Their Specific Duties
  • Absolute Adherence To IATA/ICAO Standards

To check-in a passenger the agent does the following:

  • Select the passenger being checked-in:
    • by scanning the eTicket.
    • or by manually inputting the Information.
  • Select the "Checked-in" option.
  • Select the "Update Link".
  • On flights definded as international the system requires that the passenger's passport information is input, either manually or via a scanner, into the system. Optionally, the passport can be scanned and the image stored in the system.

The check-in system immediately updates the passenger's record (PNR) in the SQL relational database. At this point the manifest report is accurate no matter where it is viewed or printed.

At this point the passenger's baggage, if any, is checked-in.

Baggage Check-in

The passenger, if they have baggage to check-in, must check their baggage with the check-in agent in order to insure that the baggage is routed correctly and that it is labeled. A baggage check-in application is provided that records the bags being check-in as well as automatically calculating any baggage charges due. To activate the baggage check-in application the agent selects the "Baggage" link on the row representing the current passenger. This automatically presents the baggage check-in panel to the agent.

The baggage check-in application provides the following functions:

  • Baggage check-in
  • Baggage check-in for groups of passengers
  • Manager's ability to waive the charges all on some of the baggage charges
  • Return of baggage to the passenger, if required.
  • Payment for overweight, excessive or optional baggage.

The weight and balance program is automatically updated to reflect the passenger's and baggage weight.

IATA/ICAO Baggage Tags

Once the baggage is checked-in, the system automatically prints the correct number of IATA/ICAO baggage tags. The baggage tag contains all of the information necessary to insure that the bags arrive at the proper destination. In addition to the standard bar code label on the bag tag a simple unique identifier or more complex information can be optionally stored on a RFID chip contained on the bag tag if this functionality is supported by the airport.

The RFID stored date travels with each bag and is tracked by the system, when read, by the RFID readers. The baggage is tracked until it is loaded on the aircraft.

The passenger application insures positive baggage identification when the flight manifest is printed. If there is a problem the fight manifest cannot be printed until the problem is resolved. The boarding application checks for all possible errors:

  • Passenger not boarded but baggage on aircraft.
  • Passenger departing prior to baggage offload.
  • Baggage to passenger identification.

Boarding Passes

A standard IATA/ICAO boarding pass is printed on plain paper stock, at this point the eTicket no longer has any validity as it is replaced by the boarding pass. The passenger is allowed to retain the eTicket for their financial records and also for redemption in the frequent flyer program.

IATA BCBP resolution 792 is adhered to for bar coded boarding passes and the standard PDF417 (ISO/IEC 15438) is support for the 2D bar code.

The boarding passes are printed on normal laser printers and on plain paper stock. If your airline pulls boarding passes the upper portion of the boarding pass can be separated from the lower half by purchasing perforated paper that allows the two section to be separated at boarding. In this case the passenger retains the lower portion for their records.

The system has the ability to print a special boarding pass for those locations where additional check-in and boarding security is necessary. At the check-in counter a scanner is used to scan either the passengers government identification card or their passport. This information is printed on the left hand side of the boarding pass, including the photograph of the passenger. This allows positive identification of the passengers when they are boarded onto the aircraft. When the passenger boards the aircraft, and the boarding pass scanner is used, it is possible to display the passport information of the boarding passenger on a display. This eliminates all fraud of the wrong passenger boarding.

The data retained in the bar code per resolution 792 are:

  • Number of legs encoded
  • Passenger name
  • Electronic ticket indicator
  • Operating carrier PNR code
  • From city airport code
  • To city airport code
  • Flight number
  • Date of flight
  • Compartment code
  • Check-in sequence number
  • Passenger Status
  • Passenger description
  • Source of check-in
  • Source of boarding pass issue
  • Date of issue of boarding pass
  • Document type
  • Airline designator of boarding pass issuer
  • Airline numeric code
  • Frequent flyer airline designator
  • Frequent flyer number
  • ID/AD indicator
  • Free baggage allowance

Additional information, other than the required standard data that is placed on the boarding card is:

  • Number of checked bags
  • Total weight of the checked bags
  • The bag tag numbers of the checked bags
  • The charges, if any, for overweight checked baggage
  • The number and weight of the carry-on luggage
  • The identification number of each carry-on bag tag
  • Any special carry on luggage such as computers, baby strollers, etc.

This information provides positive baggage identification of checked luggage and carry-on luggage. This helps to locate checked baggage once it is on the aircraft and eliminates fraudulent baggage from being carried onto the aircraft by the passenger.

Internet Check-In

Passengers, using the on-line booking system, can can check-in for their flights anytime and anywhere.

Passengers can check-in on-line anytime between 2 and 48 hours prior to departure. In addition, they can check-in their return flight, if their return flight is less than 48 hours from the arrival of their outbound flight.

When Passengers check-in on-line, all they need to do is arrive at the airport no later than 45 minutes before departure to have their boarding pass validate and present their check-in luggage.

To use Internet check-in, the passenger must have a confirmed (paid for) booking made on your on-line system, a travel agent or by one of the airline's reservation centers.

At the airport they simply present their government issued photo identification and if the reservation was paid for by credit card, their credit card that was used to pay for the reservation.

Off-Site Check-In

The ability for passengers to check-in for their flights before they reach the airport provides a less stressful travel experience. Off-site check-in reduces crowding at the airport ticket counter areas and to drastically reduces airline passenger processing cost.

Hotels, airlines, convention centers and other locations have begun to embrace the concept of offering passenger check-in on their proprieties.

Utilizing most airline's web check-in applications has made the process of producing a boarding pass off-site a simple affair. However, the inability to produce airline baggage tags at an off-site location has made handling passengers who wish to check baggage a more complicated process.

Generally, most third-party baggage concierge services has resorted to producing baggage tags in advance before they arrive at the off-site location. Greatly reducing efficiency and adding significant cost to their operations. Additionally, any unused baggage tags need to be deleted from the passenger records to ensure the integrity of passenger and baggage information.

FDM has created an application to simplify the process of producing baggage tags away from the airport, greatly increasing passenger service levels at off-site check-in locations. This allows third-party baggage concierge services to print baggage tags at any off-site check-in location no matter how complicated the passenger's route is.

Since the entire airport system is integrated together it is simple to provide the necessary technology to allow passengers to check-in at any off-site location with checked baggage. The check-in records for specific airlines are updated via an Internet based check-in application.

Passenger Boarding

Gate Operation

The boarding function is accomplished from a single eDCS panel. The single panel contains a listing of all passengers booked on the flight being boarded.

The functions provided for the gate agents are the same as the check-in agents with the following additions:

  • Print Pre-Flight Passenger Manifest
  • Print Final Flight Passenger Manifest
  • Calculate and print the Weight and Balance report
  • Update the Flight Following report

The agent, to board a passenger is only required to select the correct passenger and select the "Continue" button,. This function immediately updates the central database so that the manifest report is accurate to the second no matter where it is viewed/printed.

When all passengers have boarded the aircraft, the agent can then print the IATA flight manifest for the aircraft's captain.

When the flight manifest is printed a check is made to insure that any passengers that have check-in and checked baggage are on the aircraft. If all passengers are accounted for the flight manifest is printed. Otherwise the flight manifest cannot be produced until the checked baggage is removed from the aircraft or the passenger accounted for.

Scanner

Fast Passenger Boarding

Fast Boarding allows your agents to positively board passengers at the gate in less than 3 second per passenger.

On the top of the eTicket and/or boarding pass is a bar code that contains the passenger and flight locator number. If you install a bar code scanner all that has to be done is to scan the eTicket and the passenger will be boarded.

If you choose not to purchase bar code scanners the gate agent can input the passenger and flight locater number using the Personal Computer keyboard.

When you scan or manually input the flight locater number the following panel will pop up providing confirmation that the passenger boarding is getting onto the correct flight.

The boarding operation produces the computer IATA standard passenger manifest.

At the completion of boarding, the number of passengers boarded and the number of passengers on the passenger manifest, is compared by the aircraft captain, with the flight attendants passenger count. When this count is verified as correct the aircraft's captain is required to sign the manifest retained in the airlines records.

Loading Checked Baggage Onto the Aircraft

The baggage being loaded onto the aircraft can be, optionally, scanned by radio frequency scanners which automatically update the database. Once the plane is loaded the system will automatically make a check to insure all cargo that was supposed to be loaded was loaded and that there is no extra cargo loaded. With proper surveillance of this process it is impossible to put bogus baggage onto the aircraft.

The plane should not be released until this operation is complete and correct.

Airline Capitan's Envelope

The following information can be, optionally, produced and given to the aircraft's Capitan:

  • Official IATA passenger manifest
  • Aircraft weight and balance report
  • Airdraft captan's NOTOC report
  • Load Sheet

Flight Reconciliation

Flight reconciliation consists of:

  1. Insuring that the flight manifest is updated and correct. This means that all passengers who have checked in and boarded are on the aircraft.
  2. Printing two copies of the flight manifest, one copy for the aircraft and the signed, by the aircraft's captain, copy for the airlines records.
  3. All passengers on the flight list must either be:

    • Boarded
    • No Showed
    • Cancelled
    • Re-booked on a different flight

If any passengers are left in any other state, like paid or checked-in, the flight will resist being closed. If the flight is not closed the IATA Passenger Manifest cannot be produced.

Closing The Flight

The flight can be closed when all passengers are boarded, the aircraft captain has been give the flight manifest and the flight has been reconciled.

Flight Release

The final step is flight release, flight release occurs automatically when Flight Operations updates the Flight Status (Flight Following) to "Off Ground" status.

When the flight is "released" complete control is passed to accounting.

Accounting can view or edit items in the flight. All others can do reports or view the data but cannot make changes.

Copyright 2011, Flight Data Management, Inc.