More than 1.5 billion boarding passes will be delivered to mobile devices by airlines within four years, a new study has suggested.
Juniper Research claims the 2019 figure will be double the number estimated for 2015 at 745 million worldwide.
One and a half billion will be approximately a third of the total number issued to passengers by carriers around the world.
But with smartphone penetration increasing, plus airlines and online travel agencies continuing to push their mobile services, perhaps one in three is a little on the conservative end of the forecast spectrum.
Juniper says mobile boarding passes are increasingly used by frequent flyers (i.e. business travellers), but leisure passengers are "less likely to be familiar with the technology".
Just over half of all carriers (53%) currently have the platforms in place to issue mobile boarding passes, according to SITA, with that number expected to rise to 91% within two years.
The Juniper research says some airlines are recording double-digit growth for boarding passes delivered via mobile, with carriers in the Far East, Europe and the US leading the way.
Interestingly, the next phase of development for mobile technology and the aviation sector may not be taken up as quickly.
NFC (Near Field Communications) could eliminate the need for a boarding pass entirely, with passengers simply using their mobile phones to swipe against a scanner at various points during the airport process.
Research author Nitin Bhas says:
"The ultimate position that NFC can reach in the airline industry is 'the extinction of the boarding pass' whereby boarding pass, baggage tickets and identity information can be stored on the phone and simply accessed using NFC readers.
"However, this transition will not only be delayed by the success of barcode but there is the need to gain agreement and investment from airlines and airports around the world."
NB:Mobile ticket image via Shutterstock.