You are here: Home » IATA by Region » Europe » Germany » About BSP Germany

Germany, located in the middle of Europe, today is one of the biggest markets for the travel industry in the world. In the mid-seventies the number of air travellers increased tremendously. To support its Members activities in Germany, IATA set up a feasibility study in early 1981 resulting in the implementation of the BSP System in Germany in 1982. At implementation, BSP Germany had already 54 member carriers on board, and by the end of 1999 there were 140 carriers participating in the BSP, representing a growth of 159%.

In addition to the carriers, the German travel agents soon recognised the benefits of the IATA settlement system. Since inception of the BSP in Germany, Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) have been used and the number of manual transactions kept at a minimum level. As soon as BSP Germany had become full operational in 1982, 947 travel agents were implemented, and by the end of 1999, a total of 4.775 IATA-approved locations had been registered, representing an upwards growth rate of 404%.

The ongoing increase of the clearing volume (in Year 2007: EUR 9,5 Billion) is significant for the ongoing development of the market volume in Germany. This tremendously enhances the BSP System's attractiveness and beneficial attributes to the participating carriers and agents. Today 180 Airlines and 3.500 travel agents are participating in BSP Germany.

During the last years IATA has taken enormous efforts to reduce costs for both airlines and agents. A 'Simplifying the Business' campaign was started and communicated to the market. One major project was the elimination of paper tickets by the end of May 2008.

For IATA Germany, the future holds many exciting and innovative plans. Please check this webpage again for breaking developments and our Press Stop page for news.

We're leading the word of travel into the future. Join us!