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Nepal Tourism News

Air passengers again required to show ID at check-in

Posted by:  | Date: January 26, 2011

Airlines and travel agencies have revived the provision making it mandatory for passengers flying on domestic flights to produce ID during check-in in a bid to stop travellers with fake identities and enforce air safety regulations.

Air travellers will henceforth need to show official identification (citizenship certificate, passport or driving license) to obtain a boarding pass and while buying an airline ticket. Students can present ID issued by their college or school.

Although the system has been in place for a number of years, carriers and travel agencies have not been implementing it because of recalcitrant travellers, said airline operators. “The ID check-in system will be implemented more strictly from now onwards,” said president of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Arjun Prasad Sharma.

Airlines and travel agencies moved to enforce the requirement more strictly following the Tara Air accident on Dec. 16, 2010 that claimed the lives of 19 Bhutanese passengers travelling as Nepalis.

The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has also issued a public notice to inform passengers about the new rules. The AOAN has also announced that the tickets of passengers trying to travel on false ID will be cancelled.

“Domestic airlines have been lax with regard to check-in procedure. However, considering the matter of security and false ID, the AOAN has asked airlines to implement the provision strictly,” said AOAN general secretary Suman Pandey.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal had also written to the AOAN to implement the ID check-in procedure more strictly after the Tara Air crash.

“Requiring travellers to produce ID when buying an air ticket and obtaining a boarding pass will create a double check-in process that will ensure passenger security,” added Sharma.

Earlier, NATTA has appealed to the government to implement legal procedures that comply with applicable check-in requirements for all passengers travelling on domestic flights.

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