A departure control system (DCS) automates processing an airline's airport management operation, which includes managing the information required for airport check-in, printing boarding cards, baggage acceptance, boarding, load control and aircraft checks.
A DCS is used to update reservations, typically as checked-in, boarded, flown or another status.
Additionally and increasingly, a DCS for some city-pair sectors may also interface with immigration control (such as Advance Passenger Information System) for visa, immigration and passenger no-fly watchlists.
Load control (weight and balance) is then provided by a standalone application.
"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 Services Systems.