Flying can be enjoyable since it helps you reach your destination in just a few hours without much hassle. However, the boarding process can be a real pain. Sometimes, it takes up to two hours to get a boarding pass, which can take away from the overall airport experience. To enhance convenience and improve the passenger experience, SpiceJet, a leading domestic airline in India, has introduced a creative service. They have launched a paperless boarding process at Shillong Airport in Meghalaya to promote digital travel. This new initiative makes SpiceJet the first airline in India to provide boarding passes directly through WhatsApp at check-in counters.
SpiceJet has initiated a pilot project in Shillong, with plans for a nationwide rollout. This innovative process allows passengers to receive their boarding passes via WhatsApp instead of the traditional paper version after checking in at the airport counter. This approach streamlines the boarding process, eliminating the hassle of waiting for paper slips or the anxiety of misplacing them. It is a faster, more eco-friendly, and efficient solution.
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SpiceJet Will Use Its Own Technology For This Digital Initiative
By adopting paperless boarding passes, SpiceJet is prioritizing digital advancement and eco-sustainability. The airline has created its own technology known as the Web Departure Control System (WEBDCS), which allows airport staff to operate it on regular computers and tablets. This system enables employees to effortlessly send boarding passes through WhatsApp or email and share baggage tags via SMS.
This initiative aims to decrease wait times, enhance passenger comfort, and lessen the aviation industry’s reliance on paper. Despite options like web check-in and government initiatives such as Digi Yatra, Indian airports printed over nine million boarding passes in June 2025 alone, contributing to an estimated six tonnes of carbon emissions. SpiceJet’s initiative seeks to mitigate this unnecessary environmental impact.
