Frequently Asked Questions

About Damarel

  • Who is Damarel?

    Damarel is a specialist software house with years of experience in developing and delivering products for the Airline, Airport and Ground Handling industry.
    We concentrate on two main areas of airport activity:

    • Passenger Processing. Including passenger check-in, boarding and aircraft weight & balance (load control)
    • Ground Operations. Covering all aspects of Ground Handling, Ramp, Services and turnaround management.

    We are experts in the field, with unrivalled knowledge about all aspects of passenger and flight handling systems.

    Based in the UK, Damarel has been providing best-of-breed software solutions to the aviation industry since 1988. Our products are regarded as class-leading and are based on years of experience and close collaboration with our customer.

    Why Damarel?

    Good question! We have exceptional expertise in our field and our solutions are designed to help you maximise the potential of your business. We have a wealth of experience working with airports, airlines and ground handlers of all sizes around the world, so we know not only what works, but how to get it working for you.

    For over 20 years our reputation has been built on outstanding products and services that deliver as promised, something we are proud of and backed up by a loyal and growing client base.

    We understand the business and the challenges that our clients face on a daily basis. Our aim is always is to provide the best-and most appropriate solutions to match individual circumstance.

    Who are our customers?

    Our customers come from many different organisations, including airlines, airports, handling agents and systems integrators.

    We are preferred suppliers for some of the largest companies in the aviation community, based on our reputation for quality products backed up by excellent service.

    What kind of software does Damarel provide?

    Damarel provides a whole range of products for the airline industry. We supply a number of class leading solutions, including the following:

    • Common Use Terminal Equipment – CUTE. Aura is a cost-effective CUTE system aimed at small to medium size regional airports. Now with a ZIP option!Click here for more details. 
    • Airline Terminal Emulator and Common Language Facility. Babel is an advanced TE and CLF that is highly customisable to individual requirements. Click here for more details.
    • Local DCS. L-DCS is one of the most widely used DCS for the check-in of Low Cost and Charter Carriers. Click here for more details.
    • Weight and Balance. LodeStone is a companion product for L-DCS and provides advanced, automated Weight and Balance for narrow and wide-body aircraft. Click here for more details.
    • Passenger Boarding. Embark LBA2 provides fast, secure airline boarding using all modern technology. Click here for more details.
    • Backup DCS. B-DCS delivers Business Continuity for passenger processing operations in the event a primary airline DCS fails. Click here for more details.
    • Operational Database. FiNDnet is an Operational Database for Ground Handling Agents, containing comprehensive automation tools for managing schedules, Type B messages and information distribution. Click here for more details.
    • Airline Service Charge Capture and Billing. FiNDnet Services and FiNDnet Billing provide automated tools for capturing service provision details and charges and the production of invoices. Click here for more details.
    • Passenger Security. Vanguard provides compliant document scanning and processing for 2D bar code and ATB2 documents. Click here for more details.
    Do you develop bespoke software?

    The majority of our products are highly customisable and can be configured to suit most operations. However, for those customers with unique requirements we also offer a completely bespoke development service.

    Where is Damarel based?

    Damarel is based in the UK, but our software is available throughout the world either directly or through our network of local partners. Contact us here for more details.

    Where is your software Installed?

    Damarel has software installed throughout the world, including in most of the major airports. From Sydney to Hong Kong, London to New York you can find our products being used to handle hundreds of millions of passengers every year.

    Take a look at our world map here.

    Which airline systems do you support?

    We support many, many airlines (and their host DCS). With over 200 at the last count there are too many to list here! Take a look at our airlines page for a sample of the current list.

    Which CUTE/CUPPS platforms do you support?

    Our products are certified for use on all the major CUTE/CUPPS platforms, including:

    SITA CUTE/NT and AirportConnect (APC)
    ARINC iMUSE/vMUSE
    RESA CREWS
    UltraCUSE
    Travelsky Angel CUTE
    Damarel AuRA
    AirIT

    By choosing Damarel software you can be sure that we can support your operation, whatever the location.

    We also supply Zero Integration Platform (ZIP) middleware to application providers and platform suppliers. Our ZIP product enables native airline applications to run on CUTE/CUPPS platforms without modification. Take a look here.

    Which Host DCS connection strategies do you support?

    All of Damarel’s products continuously evolve to keep pace with industry trends. We support all of the current and emerging connection strategies, including:

    Legacy Gateway (P1024B ALC and P1024C UTS)
    Direct IP
    MATIP
    Web Services

    What is a CLF?

    The airline industry is littered with three letter acronyms, and CLF is one of the latest. It stands for Common Language Facility, and essentially means providing a single, common interface for check-in, regardless of the airline DCS in operation. We do this using our Babel product, a script-driven, customisable GUI (Graphical User Interface) available for most CUTE/CUPPS platforms and DCS providers.

    APIS

    Do you support APIS and APIS+?

    Yes, our check-in products are certified compliant for APIS and APIS+, including the scanning of passports and generation of both US and UN/EDIFACT messages.

    For example, L-DCS has one of the most advanced APIS modules available, with built-in support for all APIS standards, including those for the US, Canada and China, among others.

    What about AQQ, Secure Flight and Overflight?

    AQQ (APIS Quick Query) is the latest requirement from US CBP, providing an authority to travel system for passenger check-in. L-DCS has been fully certified by the US authorities for use with AQQ.

    Secure Flight enhances security for airlines by providing a system for checking passenger details against watch lists maintained by the US Department of Homeland Security. L-DCS is fully certified with this system.

    US Overflight is the latest security requirement governing flights that may fly over the US airspace. Again L-DCS is fully certified with this new regulation.

    What about e-Borders?

    e-Borders is the UK initiative for collecting passenger details for both in- and out-bound passengers. Damarel have certified L-DCS for use with both Type B and MQ Series connections.

    Hardware

    Do you support 2D Bar Codes?

    Damarel is at the forefront of support for modern technologies, and all our products for passenger check-in and boarding all have built-in support for IATA PDF 417 2D bar codes.

    What about General Purpose Printers?

    GPPs are an excellent way to drive down the cost of peripherals by using COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) hardware – in this case ’till roll’ style receipt printers. As part of IATA’s drive toward Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS) and GPPs, all of Damarel’s products support the use of GPPs for boarding cards.

    What about Self-Service?

    Damarel are part of the IATA CUSS Group, with a focus on passenger self-service. We have support built into a number of our products, for example Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) and Web Service interfaces for L-DCS to allow home or kiosk check in. Vanguard also interfaces to Quick Boarding Gates (QBG) to allow passengers to pass through Outbound Control Points by scanning their own travel documents. Both L-DCS and Embark handle QBGs in unattended mode for self-boarding for all airlines.

    What can we provide

    Can you provide a GUI for an Airline DCS?

    Yes, if you need a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for your host, to simplify training and use, then we can supply Babel with scripts customised specifically for your DCS.

    Do you provide a Data Centre?

    Yes, for those customers who would rather we host their applications and data for them, we offer space in our fully monitored data centre.

    What support can you provide?

    Damarel provides customised support services to all our clients, up to and including full 24/7 cover. Our dedicated Helpdesk team are fully trained in all of our products and can investigate and resolve problems extremely quickly.

    We have secure remote access to many of our customers’ sites, enabling us to rectify most issues remotely without the need for a site visit.