Air ticket becomes paperless from June, amid industry gloom

IATA's direction comes at a time when the international airline industry faces a "grim" outlook as soaring fuel costs and economic turmoil hit passenger numbers. "The impact of skyrocketing oil prices and weaker economies has made its way to traffic growth," said IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani. "The industry outlook is grim at best."

According to a data compiled by IATA, the number of airline passengers grew by just 3 percent in April, against 5.4 percent in the corresponding month a year earlier.

IATA members, which make up 94 percent of the world's airline traffic began switching to e-tickets from February onwards as rising crude oil prices forced them to find ways to cut down on operating costs.

According to IATA, the move to ban paper tickets will not only help the industry save at least $3 billion per year, but also will bring a smile to the conservationists as about 50,000 trees will be spared per years.

E-tickets, IATA claims, also reduce the worry of passengers as it eliminates the chance of losing the ticket. Besides, e-tickets can be easily changed and reissued without necessitating a trip to the local travel agency or airline ticket booking office. Also e-tickets enable a wide array of self-service options including online and mobile check-in.