Industry savings could be $2.9bn
The electronic miscellaneous documents (EMD) should be in full use in the aviation industry by 2013.
The target has been set buy the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which claimed the EMD gave airlines the chance to make savings of $2.9bn.
The EMD enables airlines, agents and buyers to track ancillary charge imposed by carriers for service like check-in baggage or lounge access, IATA said.
While "unbundling" of their products by airlines has increased rapidly in the last three years, especially in the US, buyers have been angered by the difficulty in tracking and capturing these extra charges.
EMD has been put forward as a solution and is backed by the US Airlines Reporting Corporation.
EMD was put forward by Philippe Bruyère, IATA's programme director of Simplifying the Business (StB) and global head of passenger, as one of five ways airlines could simplify their business and save money.
He said EMD allowed airlines to offer more services to passengers and could be used on journeys involving multiple airlines which would make interlining smoother.
It would also replace all paper miscellaneous documents.
IATA compared the improvement to the introduction of electronic tickets several years back which did away with paper tickets and a considerable amount of paper work.
The aim to have the system in full use by 2013 was approved by the IATA board earlier this month.
www.iata.org [1]