Paper air ticekts will fade our in China from today. (File Photo)

Photo Gallery >>>BEIJING, Oct.16 -- Paper air tickets will start to fade out in China from today, said an expert with the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, or CAAC.

The International Air Transport Association will stop providing paper tickets, which now account for more than 70 percent of China's paper air ticket sales, effective today, according to the IATA.

Meanwhile, all Chinese airlines will popularize electronic air tickets by the end of this year, said Li Qi, an expert with the security technology center of the CAAC.

"E-ticketing will reduce the operational costs of the airlines, making possible a drop in prices," said Li.

The cost of an e-ticket is about a tenth of that of a paper air ticket, according to IATA, which required its 261 member airlines to abandon all paper tickets by the end of 2007.

With e-ticketing, passengers can make reservations on line or by phone and check in with a ticket number.

However, many passengers feel insecure about holding no tickets in hand. Besides, it is difficult for business travelers to apply for reimbursement, with some airports and ticket selling agencies unable to print reimbursement vouchers for e-tickets, according to experts.

Facing such difficulties, e-ticketing needs to improve its selling system and after service, said Zhu Qingyu, who is in charge of market research at the China Air Transport Association.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)