Jetstar to introduce SMS boarding passes in Australia

A new system of issuing boarding passes will soon allow air passengers to receive their boarding passes via SMS. Several foreign airlines have taken cue from Jetstar, which will introduce this high-tech boarding system from November, says Aaron Hornlimann, 22, a computer wizard from Melbourne who has pioneered the system.

Passengers flying from Avalon airport near Melbourne will be required to only place the message on their phones recorded by an electronic scanner before they proceed to a boarding gate.

Hornlimann says the system is quite simple and tests have shown the whole process takes less than two seconds. The system will be rolled out across Australia over the next two years.

The system allows a boarding pass and unique code to be transmitted to any mobile number.

Hornlimann who is mainly self-taught owns an IT business in Burnley. He credits the deal he struck with Jetstar to a stroke of good luck and a matter of who he knew. His friends working in immigration control connected to Jetstar and the business of SMS messaging had been in the know of the airline's plan to use a new way to improve boarding.

The system also allows passengers to check-in 24 hours ahead of their flight. The system will undergo final tests next month before it is rolled out in November at Avalon.