More airlines will tap social media for business: Report

Over the next three years, 70 percent of the airlines will use social media to reach out to passengers and offer services, aviation industry specialists in Goa say in a report Thursday.

"India is the world's third-largest social media market with the number of users in urban India estimated at 66 million. Indian carriers and airports are increasingly conscious of their social media footprint and the need to reach out to passengers via social media platforms," the report said.

"Over the next three years, 70 percent of airlines surveyed will use social media to promote their brand and offer reservations, customer relationship management and check-in via social media platforms."

"The social media will also play a vital role in how airports enhance their engagement with passengers, particularly during periods of disruption," the report said.

Co-authored by air-transport specialists at SITA and CAPA, which focus on research and analysis in the aviation sector, the report is based on surveys across the country conducted by the two organisations.

The findings form part of a white paper on the aviation and information and communications technology released at a two-day Aviation ICT Forum 2013 that started Thursday at a resort on the outskirts of the Goa capital.

The ever increasing use of smartphones and tablets will also have a major bearing on the airline-passenger relationship right from mobile check-ins to itinerary integration, it said.

"With over 82 percent of travellers surveyed carrying smartphones and 22 carrying tablets, India's airlines and airports are also adopting new mobile services. By 2015, 100 percent of airlines surveyed will offer mobile check-in, flight status notification, ticket purchase, itinerary integration and sharing and on-board mobile services," it says.