Departure Control System

There are lots of international and well-designed DCSs which are appropriate for large airports. Larger international airports will have a range of DCS or a single DCS. Each particular airline carrier can integrate with them for streamlined operations. However, these can be expensive and unaffordable for smaller ground handlers and airlines.
The Departure Control System contains the following operations:
• Passenger check-in
• Weight and Balance (W&B)
• Baggage check-in
• Operational Flight Plan
• Automated boarding pass printing
• Flight Manifest
• Flight Information
• Flight Arrival & Departure Analysis

Local DCS is an ideal choice for regional airlines, airports, and ground handlers to keep their passenger services as fast and smoothly as possible while using a low-cost solution. The above list includes all commercial local departure control system providers, which can be utilized at the heart of every airline, ground handler, and airport.

• Counter check-in
• Transfer handling
• Gate handling
• Baggage handling
• Messaging
• Document printing
• Boarding control & gate reader
• Control method e-ticket validation
• Interactive e-ticket validation
• IATCI
• APIS & APP
• Watch list processing
• TravelDoc access
• WorldTracer access

Using an automated system saves more time in different steps of departure control (checking, boarding, load control, and so on). In addition, DCS helps airlines to increase their revenue. For example, it provides airlines with the opportunity to make any released seats immediately available for resale. DCS can also reduce airlines costs, especially those costs that are related to flight delays. This is because an automated system is much faster and can reduce operation times.

So-called “new generation” DCSs are being developed and deployed by vendors such as Amadeus and SITA as part of the overall re-engineering of Airline Passenger Service Systems. These new systems typically use a common database and a services-oriented architecture that allows reservations, check-in, and other services to maintain a consistent view of passenger information.
In 1987, ICCI – Airline System developed the first single-server, PC-based departure control system in Westlake Village, California. The first installation was carried out by Unisys in 1988 for Aerovias de México in Mexico City (Unisys was an ICCI – Airline Systems licensed reseller, as was IBM.) The ICCI-DCS had additional airport modules added, the first being the flight information display system followed by the signage system to control checking counters/departure gate electronic signage. This new system was then installed for America West Airlines in Phoenix, Arizona; EDS was the primary vendor.