The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body that represents 240 airlines and 94% of scheduled international travel, has reached an agreement on a global standard for mobile barcodes, which it says "paves the way" for air travelers to use mobile phones for check-in at airports.

Passengers can opt to have the barcode sent to their mobile phones when they book a ticket and then use that barcode as a boarding pass at the airport.  The process eliminates paper from the check-in process.
"Passengers want the convenience of self-service options in a paperless environment," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO,  in a statement. "This standard is an important step in getting rid of paper that bogs down processes and drives up costs."

Regional formatting differences has slowed down the deployment of mobile applications, though several airlines have adopted mobile barcodes for check- bin, there has not been a unified solution. The IATA solution uses existing codes: Aztec and Datamatrix, which are used extensively in Europe and North America; and QR which is widely used in Japan. All three are proven technologies and can be read by a single scanner type that is available globally.

The association said it hopes to use the standard to begin working with members to develop standardized processes and guidelines to "facilitate global implementation."

The industry has set end of 2010 as the deadline to implement 100% barcoded boarding passes. The association estimates that once boarding passes are 100% barcoded, the industry could save more than $500 million annually.