Departure Control System
General idea of DCSDCS (Departure Control System) is an automated passenger and baggage check-in system at the airport. This type of automated systems gained in importance due to the introduction of electronic tickets. Formerly, paper tickets were common, and manual method of passengers registration was implemented. Nowadays, the adoption of electronic tickets resulted in replacement of a paper ticket with a respective entry into the database (on the e-tickets server). In order to confirm the flight (transportation) there must be a tool that allows to enter a database, confirm the availability of the electronic ticket, and report the information on completed check-in and boarding procedures to the e-tickets server. Thus the adoption of DCS at the airports became an inevitable part of the e-ticket technology providing the interaction with the e-tickets server of the airline. Therefore the Ministry of Transportation of Russian Federation obligated the Russian airports to install the equipment that allows check-in of passengers with electronic tickets. |
Astra DCS is a system of departure control both in the configuration of the airport and airlines.
Astra, the host DCS, as well as other systems used by Sirena-Travel CJSC was developed by the specialists in Comtech CJSC in accordance with the IATA standards and requirements. Astra DCS server is located in Sirena Travel loading platform along with Sirena Travel GDS and ETS-2000. It guarantees the reliability of the system operations and the high speed of interaction between all the components of Sirena Travel electronic ticket technology. The purpose of Astra DCS is to provide airlines with smoothly functioning electronic ticket technology based on the domestic developments of a single provider, namely Sirena Travel CJSC. Architectureand configuration of the system allows it to operate as an airline and airport host.
Installation and maintenance of Astra DCS in airport configuration allows to organize the check-in process of passengers and baggage for any airline. The system accepts and processes the PNL / ADL from any reservation centers that support the standard data exchange formats recommended by IATA. Upon flight departure, Astra DCS generates and automatically sends out all the standard types of telegrams. Astra DCS supports the interaction with the e-tickets servers of various airlines online and in ETL mode.
Operation of Astra DCS in airline configurationdeserves special attention. Typically, in this case the airline also uses the e-tickets server ETS-2000 (service provider: Sirena-Travel), with which Astra DCS interacts online. Implementation of Astra DCS in all the airports of airlines’ route network guarantees the creation of a common information space, where the airline operates its own resources and controls the check-in and departures of its own flights at all airports.
The goal of every airline is to provide safe, efficient and quick services to the passengers at the airport. Only the use of its own departure control system can guarantee the airline electronic ticket fraud protection, enable passengers to exchange or return theticket or cancel a flight reservation just before the flight departure. It also ensures the provision of additional services to VIP passengers and frequent flyers at the airport and on board. All that is made possible thanks to the existence of a common information platform and interaction of Astra DCS with e-ticket database of a respective airline. Consequently, the information stored on the e-tickets and DCS servers is processed online and is available to airlines. It complies with the current status of the processing stage at any moment.
Application of its own DCS at all airports of the route network allows the airline to provide a through check-in service to its passengers. This service facilitates the check in procedure and saves time during passengers’ transfers.
It should be noted, that irrespective of Astra configuration in a certain airport, the intersystem online interaction is provided for the airlines using the e-ticket server Sirena-Travel ETS-2000.
Sirena-Travel CJSC offers a new Web Check-in Service within the framework of Astra DCS project. Thanks to the web-application, the passenger flying with the airline that implements Astra DSC service, will soon be able to check in for the flight through his PC or laptop. This service is currently in the pilot production stage.
There are a number ofessentialcharacteristicsof Astra DSC, distinguishing it from similar products. Astra DCS can be installed on different kinds of equipment available at the airport. Currently the system designers successfully adopted several thermoprinters for printing of boarding passes and baggage tags. Experience shows that Astra can operate on the same hardware devise with other DCS systems.Astra DCS is certified for the use on public platform such as SITA CUTE, U-CUSE, iMUSE. It shows that the system successfully operates with theuniversal equipment supplied in combination with these platforms. Operation of the system does not require the use of highly specific communication channels. The access to internet is all it needs. The system is easy to master and use. The system engineers also ensured that Astra can be connected to other automated systems located at the airports to perform sharing of data.
At present Astra DCS successfully operates in more than 60 airports in Russia and CIS states.
