Airline Forum 2020:Virtual exchange accelerates the transformation to the “New Normal” of aviation

One of the largest airline IT conferences gathers representatives of 70 airlines | Despite the challenges faced by the airline industry, Lufthansa Systems presents cutting-edge innovations and welcomes new customers.

Around 500 users will come together today at the 13th edition of the Airline Forum, the airline IT user conference organized by Lufthansa Systems. The Airline Forum unites around 70 airlines from all over the world who successfully use the ground operations solutions and commercial solutions from Lufthansa Systems. This year’s installment of the Airline Forum entitled “Transforming into the ‘New Normal’” will see the user community meet in a fully virtual format for the first time in the event’s long-standing history. Coming together on a digital platform, the participants will learn about the latest developments in the portfolio offered by the airline IT specialist that will help airlines to navigate through the crisis and return to the skies.

The use of modern technologies and a solid data basis will be key for the industry to get back on track after the global standstill of air passenger traffic. Data analyses, machine learning algorithms, other artificial intelligence (AI) methods and cloud solutions will enable airlines to make better and faster decisions in a constantly changing market environment. At the Airline Forum, Lufthansa Systems presents its latest innovations that enable airlines to transform their business to this “New Normal”. Faced with the need to optimize capacity utilization and recover from the economic downturn, industry players will benefit from the latest developments such as the optimizers for hub restructuring in network planning and scheduling, the enhanced functionalities for easier interaction between crew members in NetLine/Crew and the New Demand Indicators (NDI) Dashboard.

Due to the challenges arising in the wake of the global pandemic, airlines now more than ever appreciate the benefit of such innovative solutions. “Despite the difficulties faced by the industry, we were able to attract several new external customers recently and are particularly proud to welcome Air Transat, the Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), NEOS and Pegasus Airlines at the Airline Forum,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “The first-hand feedback provided by our airline customers at the conference will contribute directly to the continual improvement of our solutions, which is why the close exchange with our user community is vital for a sustainable recovery and the successful future of our industry.”

This years’ edition of the Airline Forum features a high-profile keynote speech and a broad range of expert-led sessions covering all topics that move airlines most in the current situation. Olivier Krueger and Dr. Thomas Wittmann, both CEOs of Lufthansa Systems, will kick-off the event with their opening remarks, and they are pleased to welcome Dr. Roland Schütz, EVP and CIO Lufthansa Group Airlines and Digital Initiatives, as keynote speaker. In his presentation, he will provide insights into the role played by IT in times of COVID-19. Attendees can choose their own individual program from eight product tracks and 48 product sessions. Dedicated breakout sessions will help create an informal environment, where all participants have the opportunity to connect with product experts and users from other airlines.

On the path to recovery: digital event formats drive customer dialogue in the “New Normal”

The pandemic is accelerating the adoption of digital ways of engaging that reduce the number of in-person events and facilitate remote exchange with customers. Responding to the need for social distancing while enabling close customer interaction, Lufthansa Systems launched an online conference series back in April. Called “Let’s talk about IT”, this conference series features Lufthansa Systems experts openly sharing their expertise to support airlines in adapting to the new circumstances faster and more efficiently. After eight editions, the virtual events season continued with the Lido User Group Conference 2020, an industry-leading flight operations solutions user conference, which took place virtually with more than 380 attendees from 110 airlines.

“We are delighted to see so many of our customers participate in our virtual events. Even though the format is different, these events continue to deliver tangible benefits for our customers,” said Dr. Thomas Wittmann, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “Meeting industry colleagues and exchanging ideas has always been an important foundation of our business – whether in-person or on a digital platform. In these turbulent times, we are doing our best to facilitate remote interaction, maintaining a close dialogue with our customers and preparing them for the full restart of the airline business.”

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FlightAware

FlightAware announced that United Airlines has integrated its predictive data tool into the airline’s operational toolset to help decrease the instance of preventable delays; reduce missed passenger connections; and help prevent flight cancellations. FlightAware operates the world’s largest flight tracking and data platform, fusing thousands of data sources around the world to provide the most accurate and comprehensive flight tracking intelligence. Over half of all estimated arrival time (ETA) predictions for U.S.-based airlines are now powered by FlightAware data.

“It is more important than ever that United operates at the highest levels of efficiency to ensure our customers have a seamless travel experience,” said David Kensick, Managing Director of Network Operations Control, United Airlines. “By leveraging data from FlightAware, we are further able to accurately time our operations to provide reliable service and minimize any disruptions to our schedule.” United will utilize FlightAware’s data throughout its operations, including the United.com website, the United mobile app, gate displays and in all internal operational systems. Predictive data will also be used in United’s Connection Saver tool, which automatically scans flights for customers who are making tight connections to determine if the connecting flight can be held without inconveniencing other customers. With the new fully integrated solution, United will further increase its ETA accuracy and consistency. FlightAware receives data from air traffic control systems, ground stations and satellite networks across the globe. This data is combined with FlightAware’s proprietary AI models and algorithms to provide the most comprehensive flight tracking solutions to airlines. “We’re proud to offer a level of accuracy in our predictions that will enhance operational capabilities at United, and help improve the travel experience,” said Daniel Baker, FlightAware CEO.(FlightAware.com)

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GOGO

Gogo Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a Section 382 Rights Plan (the “Plan”) to preserve and protect Gogo’s ability to utilize its large net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) and other tax assets.

As of December 31, 2019, Gogo had approximately $580 million of federal tax NOLs, $430 million of state tax NOLs and $196 million in federal interest expense carryforwards which could be used in certain circumstances to reduce its future tax liability. The purpose of the Plan is to protect Gogo’s ability to use these tax assets, which would be substantially limited if Gogo experienced an “ownership change” as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, an ownership change would occur if one or more of Gogo’s shareholders who are deemed to be owners of 5 percent or more of its shares under Section 382 collectively increase their aggregate ownership of Gogo’s shares by 50 percentage points or more (measured over a rolling three-year period). Under the Plan, Gogo is issuing one Right for each share of its common stock outstanding at the close of business on October 2, 2020. Shareholders are not required to take any action to receive the Rights. Gogo intends to submit the Plan to a vote of its stockholders at its 2021 annual meeting. The Plan will expire on the day following the certification of the voting results for Gogo’s 2021 annual meeting, unless Gogo stockholders ratify the Plan at or prior to such meeting, in which case the Plan will continue in effect until September 23, 2023, unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms.

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IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity. IATA will work through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with health authorities to implement this solution quickly.

International travel is 92% down on 2019 levels. Over half a year has passed since global connectivity was destroyed as countries closed their borders to fight COVID-19. Some governments have cautiously re-opened borders since then, but there has been limited uptake because either quarantine measures make travel impractical or the frequent changes in COVID-19 measures make planning impossible. The economic cost of the breakdown in global connectivity makes investing in a border-opening testing solution a priority for governments. The human suffering and global economic pain of the crisis will be prolonged if the aviation industry—on which at least 65.5 million jobs depend—collapses before the pandemic ends. And the amount of government support needed to avert such a collapse is rising. Already lost revenues are expected to exceed $400 billion and the industry was set to post a record net loss of over $80 billion in 2020 under a more optimistic rebound scenario than has actually unfolded.

IATA’s public opinion research revealed strong support for COVID-19 testing in the travel process. Some 65% of travelers surveyed agreed that quarantine should not be required if a person tests negative for COVID-19.

Passengers’ support for testing is evident in the following survey results:

• 84% agreed that testing should be required of all travelers
• 88% agreed that they are willing to undergo testing as part of the travel process

In addition to opening borders, public opinion research also indicated that testing will help to rebuild passenger confidence in aviation. Survey respondents identified the implementation of COVID-19 screening measures for all passengers as effective in making them feel safe, second only to mask-wearing. And, the availability of rapid COVID-19 testing is among the top three signals that travelers will look to for reassurance that travel is safe (along with the availability of a vaccine or a treatment for COVID-19).

IATA’s call is to develop a test that meets the criteria of speed, accuracy, affordability and ease of use and that could be administered systematically under the authority of governments following agreed international standards. IATA is pursuing this position through ICAO, which is leading efforts to develop and implement global standards for the safe operation of international air services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The evolution of COVID-19 testing is progressing rapidly on all parameters—speed, accuracy, affordability, ease of use and scalability. Deployable solutions are expected in the coming weeks. “By calling for the establishment of a global approach to COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure we are sending a clear signal of aviation’s needs. In the meantime, we are gaining practical knowledge from the testing programs that already exist as part of the various travel bubble or travel corridor initiatives around the world. We must continue with these valuable programs which move us in the right direction by building testing experience, facilitating essential travel and demonstrating testing effectiveness,” said de Juniac. COVID-19 testing before departure is the preferred option as it will create a “clean” environment throughout the travel process. Testing on arrival dents passenger confidence with the potential for quarantine at destination in the event of a positive result.
There will be many practical challenges to integrating testing into the travel process establishing the protocols to safely manage large-scale testing across all industry stakeholders. “The ICAO process is critical to aligning governments to a single global standard that can be efficiently implemented and globally recognized. Airlines, airports, equipment manufacturers and governments will then need to work in total alignment so that we can get this done quickly. Each day that the industry is grounded risks more job losses and economic hardship,” said de Juniac.

IATA does not see COVID-19 testing becoming a permanent fixture in the air travel experience, but it will likely be needed into the medium-term for air travel to re-establish itself. “Many see the development of a vaccine as the panacea for the pandemic. It will certainly be an important step, but even after an effective vaccine is globally recognized, ramping up production and distribution is likely to take many months. Testing will be a much-needed interim solution,” said de Juniac.

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Other News

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• Here is a little info on US airport commercial service requirements for COVID-19 protection for the state of Washington.
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Chicago, IL | February 26, 2020– Boeing today named Susan Doniz as the company’s chief information officer and senior vice president of Information Technology & Data Analytics, effective in May. She will succeed Vishwa Uddanwadiker, who has served in an interim capacity since October 2019.

In this role, Doniz, 50, will oversee all aspects of information technology, information security, data and analytics for the world’s largest aerospace company. She also will support the growth of Boeing’s business through IT- and analytics-related revenue generating programs. She will report to Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun, serve on the company’s Executive Council and be based in Chicago.

“Susan is a proven, customer-focused technology leader with extensive global experience across multiple industries, including commercial aviation,” said Calhoun. “She brings deep insight and skills to digital transformation, data analytics and artificial intelligence – all essential to our long-term growth strategy as well as our continuous drive for operational and safety excellence. She brings as well a passion for STEM education and diversity and inclusion.

“I’d also like to thank Vishwa for stepping in to take on this assignment during an important time for Boeing and for his support during this transition,” added Calhoun. “Vishwa demonstrated tremendous leadership, and we look forward to his continued significant contributions to the company.”

Doniz joins Boeing from Qantas Group, where she has served as Group chief information officer since January 2017. In that role, she oversaw technology innovation, development and integration, digital capabilities and cybersecurity across the Group’s companies, including Qantas Airlines, QantasLink, Qantas Loyalty and Jetstar.

Doniz has more than 25 years of global technology leadership experience, including strategic roles at SAP, Aimia and Procter & Gamble.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science and engineering from the University of Toronto, and serves as vice chair of the Digital Transformation Advisory Council of the International Air Transport Association.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As a top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing employs more than 160,000 people worldwide and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth. 

Technology delivering enhanced passenger experience at airport

Australian Airports Association’s (AAA) National conference | November 18, 2019–Gold Coast Airport has extended its partnership with global IT provider SITA for passenger and baggage technology until 2024. The new agreement continues the airport’s close relationship with SITA, which has been in place for more than 10 years.

Gold Coast Airport uses SITA AirportConnect® Open, the common-use platform, together with self-service bag drop and check-in kiosks. All this technology combines to deliver an efficient and cost-effective solution to the airlines, while ensuring an enhanced passenger experience at the airport.

This announcement follows the release of SITA’s 2019 Air Transport IT Insights, which revealed that investment in automating the passenger journey is providing a faster, more pleasant airport experience. According to the report, airport CIOs are seeing strong returns on their technology investments with 68% recording a year-on-year improvement of up to 20% in passenger satisfaction levels, while 44% saw an increase in average passenger processing times.

Mark Allen, General Manager Technology, Queensland Airports Limited, said: “Gold Coast Airport had been one of Australia’s fastest-growing airports in the past decade. Throughout this time, SITA has been a trusted partner, ensuring we achieved our goals. SITA’s ability to deliver a smooth transition to a common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS), with complete flexibility to embrace individual carrier requirements, has been particularly valuable.”

Jay Youlten, SITA Regional Director, North Asia, and Pacific, said: “Gold Coast Airport is a prime example of how investment in technology can increase operational efficiency and satisfaction among passengers. SITA has played a key role in supporting Gold Coast Airport’s growth for many years, with not only the best-in-class technology, but also a team that truly understands and supports the airport’s ambitions. We are confident we’ll match the future demands of this airport, which is 100% dedicated to delivering an outstanding passenger experience.”

Gold Coast Airport welcomed almost 6.5 million passengers in FY2019, making it the fifth busiest international airport in Australia and sixth busiest overall. The airport’s passenger numbers have steadily risen in recent years and are expected to more than double by 2037. The extended partnership with SITA comes as $500 million is invested in redeveloping the airport precinct and represents a commitment to supporting future growth, while continually improving passenger experiences.

Investment has resulted in significantly higher passenger satisfaction and shorter queues

2019 Euro IT Summit, Lisbon | November 5, 2019– Airlines and airports spent a record US$50 billion in 2018 on IT to support improvements to the passenger journey and are now beginning to enjoy the benefit of that investment. Figures published by SITA for the first time show that this investment has resulted in a significant improvement in both the satisfaction levels for passengers and average processing time.

The SITA 2019 Air Transport IT Insights published today, show that 60% of airline CIOs recorded up to a 20% year-on-year improvement in passenger satisfaction. During the same period, 45% of them recorded up to 20% improvement in the rate of passengers processed. These strong returns on investment in technology were also seen at airports where 63% of CIOs reported a year-on-year improvement of up to 20% in passenger satisfaction levels while 44% recorded quicker passenger processing times. Both airlines and airports also recorded an improvement in their business performance.

Matthys Serfontein, SITA President, Air Travel Solutions, said: “The good news is that the growing investment in automating the passenger journey means the industry is providing a faster, more pleasant airport experience. This is a real success story for automating the passenger journey, particularly at a time when we expect passenger numbers to double over the next 20 years, with physical airport infrastructure struggling to keep pace. Technology is key to alleviating the industry’s capacity crunch and avoiding negative impacts on  passengers.”

This year’s report shows that the industry continues to increase its IT spend, reaching $50bn in 2018. This was driven in part by a sharp increase in airline IT spend after several years of virtually flat growth. Total IT spend for airlines as a percentage of revenue rose to 4.84% while airport IT spend grew to 6.06% of revenue in 2018. Projections for 2019 show investments will continue to grow.

Serfontein said: “The increase in airline spend over the past year was driven by the larger airlines which continue to invest to speed up the pace of digital transformation. Investments in business intelligence and cloud services have emerged as priorities.”

From an operational point of view, airlines and airports are increasingly investing in intelligence to provide real-time and historic views of their operations, allowing them to proactively manage everything from baggage and passenger flows, to aircraft turnaround and the allocation of key assets, such as parking stands and gates.

Serfontein said: “Overall, we can see that the industry is focused on improvements to its operations to make it more efficient and facilitate better collaboration with partners and other stakeholders in what is a highly integrated industry. This in turn is having a profoundly positive impact on the service they are able to provide to passengers.”

• Download the full 2019 Air Transport IT Insights report here. Please send requests for individual graphs

Islip, Long Island | August 30, 2019– As part of its continuous attention to improve customer experience, Long Island MacArthur Airport, owned by the Town of Islip, is investing in world-class passenger information systems from IT provider SITA. The new systems will include sophisticated flight information screens and voice paging throughout the airport.

SITA, which is the global IT provider to airlines and airports, is a long-standing partner of the airport and a close neighbor. SITA’s New York office and technology lab are located in Bohemia, less than a mile from the airport.

SITA is installing new displays that are bigger, brighter and easier to see. There will also be a new large double-sided video wall with the latest information for passengers as they leave the secure area.  Displays at the ticket counter are also being upgraded.

Angie Carpenter, Supervisor Town of Islip, said: “Long Island MacArthur Airport continues to invest in services that improve the passenger experience. SITA’s AirportVision and AirportVoice technology will work together so that any flight information updates will automatically be displayed on all screens and announced in real time over the public address system. We also plan to roll out updates on our website and to give passengers the choice to receive them via email or SMS. Having the latest updates provides our passengers with the information they need to feel relaxed at the airport.”

Anthony Natale, SITA Vice President, Northeast United States, said: “We work with airports across the world but particularly enjoy our local partnerships, like we have with the Town of Islip and Long Island MacArthur Airport. Our team working in Bohemia, New York, drives much of the development and innovation that helps airlines and airports optimize operations and improve the passenger experience. Having our technology in the airport on our doorstep is a proud moment for this team. SITA AirportVision and AirportVoice will help improve the passenger journey for everyone as they travel here.”

SITA’s Bohemia facility, which has more than 100 employees, is home to a certification facility where international airlines work closely with the SITA team to ensure their airport deployments meet required industry standards. It also houses a display center and airport echo lab which showcases numerous SITA products in an environment that physically resembles an airport.

All the new SITA systems are planned to be up and running at Long Island MacArthur Airport before the end of the year and in time for the busy holiday season.

• First presentation of new gaming add-on to BoardConnect at APEX EXPO in Los Angeles | Exclusive pre-conference in the Lufthansa #FlyingLab above the Atlantic

Raunheim/Los Angeles | August 29, 2019– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will be showcasing the new inflight gaming component on its BoardConnect open IT platform at this year’s Airline Passenger Experience Expo (APEX EXPO) in Los Angeles from September 9-12. The company has digitally adapted the fantasy card game Galaxy Duel and integrated it into the platform in partnership with gaming provider Gladi8tor. Galaxy Duel offers features such as an eSports league, leaderboards and live streaming. The brand-new prototype of the inflight game will be on show at stand 1901, where it can be tested with an exclusive invitation.

Lufthansa Systems’ BoardConnect technology enables airlines to use the onboard IT platform for their specific applications, with possibilities extending far beyond mere entertainment. By integrating onboard gaming into BoardConnect, airline IT specialist provider Lufthansa Systems is responding to the ever-expanding gaming market, where it sees an opportunity for airlines to adapt their inflight entertainment to their passengers’ different needs and stand out from their competitors by offering an enhanced passenger experience.

“With 17 airlines having already opted for BoardConnect, our platform is being used on almost 900 aircraft,” said Jan-Peter Gänse, Head of Passenger Experience Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “By developing the open BoardConnect Dock platform, we have enabled our customers to expand the inflight entertainment solution to include a wide range of applications and thus offer their passengers a personalized service. The possibilities are endless. Inflight gaming is just one of many conceivable enhancements.”

Exclusive kick-off event: Lufthansa #FlyingLab en route to APEX EXPO

Before the official launch of APEX EXPO 2019, Lufthansa Systems is organizing a pre-conference on flight LH 452 from Munich to Los Angeles on September 7 in partnership with Lufthansa and APEX. The largest passenger aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet A380 will serve as a flying innovation platform as it crosses the Atlantic, setting the stage for “powering the next generation of passenger experience” and giving industry leaders an opportunity to showcase the latest trends and developments in the passenger experience space. The co-initiator and host of this FlyingLab flight is Lufthansa Systems CEO Olivier Krüger, who will kick off the event by welcoming interesting people taking part in the discussions.

All of the passengers on board can follow the expert presentations live, try out innovative new products and enjoy music performed live in the cabin. The speakers and their presentations can be streamed live to any WiFi-enabled device on board. The event will be broadcast onboard via the BoardConnect solution, illustrating one of the many different possible applications for Lufthansa Systems’ digital platform.

For the first time, a FlyingLab flight will include a design sprint session in which selected passengers can participate and develop new ideas for an enhanced passenger experience with the help of industry experts. The results of this workshop will be presented to the other passengers on board and the most promising suggestion will then be implemented.

BoardConnect Dock

With its new BoardConnect Dock solution, Lufthansa Systems is providing technology, content and financing partners with a BoardConnect framework for creating their own onboard program. Depending on the partner, this might include a connectivity portal, classic IFE content or a platform with booking options and targeted advertising to generate additional revenue.

BoardConnect

BoardConnect is Lufthansa Systems’ complete solution for the digital passenger experience that continues to address airlines of all sizes with different business models. In addition to traditional IFE features such as moving maps, movies, music, games and destination information, customers can choose the content they want from a wide range of services available through Lufthansa Systems’ strong partner network. This content can also be provided simply and easily from the cloud if desired.

New SITA report shows tech savvy travelers demand more automated, seamless journeys

World Aviation Festival, London | September 3, 2019– Airport and airline IT executives believe that the growing number of tech-savvy travelers will have the biggest impact on their digital plans over the next six years to 2025. This is revealed in a new report published today by SITA, the leading IT provider to the air transport industry.

The report, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, shows that by 2025, 68% of all passengers will be digital travelersand will expect to manage their travel in much the same way they do every other aspect of their daily lives – using their mobile phones.

This demographic shift has created digital travelers who are demanding more automation and hands-on control over each step of their journey. In particular, they expect to use their mobile phone to access services ranging from baggage location notifications, to boarding and payments. They also expect their trip to be delivered as a single, unified experience across airports, airlines, border control and other modes of transport – from the moment they leave home to when they arrive at their destination.

Barbara Dalibard, SITA CEO, said: “This demographic shift brings with it the expectation to use technology everywhere – including during travel. This will have a profound impact on how passengers interact with airports and airlines by 2025. In fact, 83% of airport and airline IT leaders surveyed by SITA believe that this demographic shift will be the most important influence on their passenger solutions strategy by 2025.”

Dalibard maintains that this shift requires more efficient operations and collaboration between airlines, airports and other stakeholders responsible for delivering that experience. Baggage is a prime example. For a single journey, a bag can change hands a dozen times between the airline, airport, the ground handler and customs agencies. If the right data is not shared between the entities, it is difficult to keep track of that bag or to provide the information the passenger seeks on their whereabouts of their bag.

“Without this collaboration, we will not be able to deliver the journey digital travelers want.”

Biometric technology is one of the key enablers to delivering more automation as well as smoothly linking each step in the journey. This technology is already being used at airports for border control and boarding aircraft andthat is set to grow significantly, both in terms of geographic spread and functionality. According to SITA’s research, more than over half of the industry’s IT leaders believe biometric travel tokens will be the key driver for the future passenger experience.

To date, the focus has largely been on using biometric identity across a single journey or airport but more and more the industry is shifting its focus to providing a persistent digital identity that can be used across multiple journeys.

Dalibard said: “To truly benefit from biometric technology, we as an industry need to work together to develop and agree a digital identity that not only provides passengers control over their identity but is accepted in any airport and across borders, much like passports are today. This cannot be done in isolation and requires a high degree of collaboration to make it a reality.”

SITA is already working with industry organizations such as IATA, ICAO and ACI and is founding steward of the Sovrin Foundation, a private-sector, international non-profit whose mission is to enable self-sovereign identity online.

June 24, 2019–Etihad Airways has bolstered flight safety by choosing to deploy SITAONAIR’s rich and intuitive EFB Weather Awareness Solution, eWAS, across more than 100 aircraft.

Ahead of its official launch on 6 April 2019, the eWAS solution was trialed by a select group of Etihad pilots throughout 2018 with extremely positive results, cementing its undeniable business and safety benefits for airlines, pilots and flight operations alike. More than 18,000 pilots across multiple carriers have now trialed the solution globally.

SITAONAIR’s eWAS – developed in partnership with GTD – is a user-friendly, cloud-hosted application that significantly improves situational awareness and reduces many of the costs associated with weather avoidance. It allows pilots to study areas of turbulence along their flightpaths, preparing them for alternative routing well in advance.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority,” said Captain Guy Farnfield, Etihad’s Head of Flight Operations Support. “The advanced communications connectivity on modern aircraft significantly improves the quality of data available to pilots, and the real-time information provided by SITAONAIR enhances their ability to anticipate, safely navigate or avoid major weather fronts. This system is delivering safety and efficiency benefits to Etihad, and improving the experience of our guests and our crews.”

Not only does eWAS support safer flight plan routes, but it also enables more economical, intelligent and flexible operations by providing greater situational awareness of significant weather threats. The solution integrates with all leading flight planning vendors, is fully scalable and requires almost no new airline IT infrastructure. Available on either iOS or Windows, eWAS is fully compatible with most major mobile and tablet devices. With its highly efficient compressed data, eWAS can be easily updated over Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G on the ground, and over a cabin or cockpit broadband link in-flight.

Stephan Egli, Commercial VP Europe, Middle East & Africa, SITAONAIR, adds: “Globally we have seen a huge shift towards bringing greater value and efficiency to airline operations in recent years. Airlines such as Etihad want to unlock their connected aircraft value and, most importantly, improve safety. As an aviation industry game-changer in the field of intelligent weather avoidance technology, eWAS is the perfect tool to enable Etihad’s ambitions. eWAS is used in production by over 10,000 pilots at multiple airlines. We believe that by embracing the age of digital transformation, we will support Etihad’s focus on bolstering safety in the skies, as well as operational efficiency.”

Airline customers of Lido flight planning and navigation solutions meet in Rome | Lufthansa Systems presenting new functions within the Lido product family

Raunheim, Germany | May 2, 2019–Lufthansa Systems is welcoming representatives from 80 airlines from across the globe to the Lido User Group Conference in Rome from May 7 to 9. Over the coming days, the company’s airline IT experts will update around 310 attendees about the latest news and developments in its successful Lido portfolio.

This customer conference will focus on how airlines can further improve the efficiency of their flight operations. With almost 25 years of experience in complex airline processes, Lufthansa Systems is the market leader in many areas of aviation IT, including in flight planning with its Lido/Flight 4D solution. With its “Total Mission Optimization” (TMO) Lido product strategy, Lufthansa Systems is once again leading the way to a future of change. This strategy focuses on the close interplay between flight planning and navigation on the flight deck.

In addition to unveiling Lido Flight Planning Solutions for dispatchers and Lido Pilot Solutions for flight deck crew, the company also presents the latest news from Lido Data Solutions. The coordinated interaction between different areas enables these tried-and-tested Lido solutions to drive innovation for airlines.

“TMO allows us to look at each individual flight as an integrated mission, managed between dispatch and the flight deck,” explained Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “We presented the TMO concept for the first time at the Lido User Group Conference 2018, where it received a highly positive reception from our customers. We are looking forward to presenting our initial findings and subsequent developments here. By progressively developing and integrating the planning and navigation processes, we are optimizing flight operations in terms of fuel consumption, flight times and operating efficiency. Dispatchers can calculate the most suitable routes and pilots can fly them in the most efficient way, all while communicating continually with each other. Dynamically updating mission-critical data also increases safety.”

In addition to unveiling the latest product developments and offering related workshops, the conference also features presentations from industry partners. Highlights include Lido and its partner GE Aviation providing insight into the opportunities presented by “Connected FMS”, while Teledyne will give an overview of “Aircraft Interface Devices (AIDs) and Connectivity.” Other partners will also showcase themselves at the Market Place, which provides a forum for partners, product experts and customer representatives from around 80 airlines to have in-depth interactions.

“Total Mission Optimization is not a product. It describes the merger of our Lido portfolio that we are delivering and developing together with the airlines by maintaining an intensive and critical dialog at events such as the Lido User Group Conference,” said Jurisch. “Our aim is to offer the highest levels of quality and user-friendliness. We do this by interconnecting our innovative solutions and continuously developing them in partnership with our customers.”

New design exhibition stand for the first time at AIX in Hamburg | Responsible marketing with sustainable materials and ecological advertising media

Raunheim, Germany | April 1, 2019– Lufthansa Systems employs IT and aviation experts who are passionate about their products and customers – real insiders. This is what the new image campaign of the airline IT specialist conveys: “We’re into IT”. The new slogan is also an invitation to customers and partners to take a closer look. Wherever digitalization and aviation come together, Lufthansa Systems and its solutions are also involved.

This basic idea, which Lufthansa Systems published at the end of January at the same time as a new design, is also reflected in the new booth concept for trade shows. This stand will be used for the first time at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. The key visual shows people who literally merge with the matter in the background. In an extraordinary way, digital, analogue and living components are combined at the stand of the airline IT specialist.

“Our concept is consciously very futuristic and modern. At first glance, it should convey the fact that we at Lufthansa Systems are flexible in all directions and can adapt to the requirements of the respective project. We are open to cooperation with partners and want to revolutionize the airline world together with them and our many customers,” says Ansgar Lübbehusen, Head of Marketing & Communications at Lufthansa Systems.

The award-winning BoardConnect platform will be presented with a new service for partners under the name BoardConnect Dock. (More on this in the press release of April 1.)

Likewise, a new range of advertising materials, which are always in high demand, was developed. Lufthansa Systems attached particular importance to sustainability in the newly selected articles. “The debate about plastic waste and sustainability does not stop at IT and marketing either. We are proud to be able to make a contribution to greater sustainability with our environmentally friendly gift articles,” adds Lübbehusen. Plastic ducks and articles that do not create any real added value are now a thing of the past. In contrast, Lufthansa Systems invites customers and partners to its stand for a cup of coffee in a portable and recyclable mug. Not only during AIX a useful utensil.

 

 

 

Raunheim | August 15, 2018–Lufthansa Systems supports airlines worldwide in all their processes with digital solutions – from network and route planning to booking and revenue management systems to on-board navigation and entertainment solutions. The digitalization of the aviation industry is proceeding rapidly, resulting in a continued growth of the demand for expertise in this field. The Lufthansa subsidiary based in Raunheim near Frankfurt am Main is therefore seeking reinforcements: aviation heroes with IT superpowers.

“Working at Lufthansa Systems means actively shaping the future of aviation with smart IT solutions. As I see it, it has become relatively easy to develop something like an app. The challenge lies in integrating innovative new solutions into existing system landscapes and structures. Some airline processes are very complex. Thanks to our years of experience, we have an extreme competitive advantage here. And this benefits not just the Lufthansa Group, but also our more than 350 airline customers worldwide,” said Olivier Krüger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

Lufthansa Systems is looking for specialists in a variety of areas, from newcomers to experienced professionals, from software architects, data scientists and DevOps specialists to scrum masters and product owners. But along with IT specialists, the company is also seeking consultants and aeronauts as well as mathematicians and physicists. “With us, anyone can develop their full potential as an aviation hero,” Krüger says.

Reinforcements are needed at the headquarters in Raunheim and at the other two German offices in Berlin and Hamburg. Close cooperation with sites in 16 other countries and customers all over the world ensure an international environment and exciting, varied projects.

Agile methods such as scrum and design thinking, flat hierarchies and flexible working hours are the hallmarks of the working world at Lufthansa Systems. The company’s new headquarters at Airport Garden in Raunheim, one of the most cutting-edge buildings in the Lufthansa Group, is the perfect setting for implementing this modern work concept in an open atmosphere and for promoting communication and teamwork.

A variety of services for employees, an internal innovation management system and the benefits of the Lufthansa Group complete the package.

Tanja Altmann, Head of Human Resources, presents Lufthansa Systems and the tasks for Aviation Heroes in a video, which can be found online together with further information on vacancies in IT at Lufthansa Systems: aviationheroes.lhsystems.com

Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport uses SITA technology to manage surge in passenger numbers

Moscow | August 3, 2018–Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) and technology provider SITA today summed up the success of new automated gates which were introduced for passengers in time for the 2018 World Cup. In just over a month around the championship, more than 1.2 million passengers took advantage of the new technology to speed their way through the airport. In total,since the beginning of the year, 3.3 million people have used SITA’s Airport Self-Service Gates at Domodedovo.

Gennady Zalutsky, CEO, Domodedovo Integration, said: “SITA’s technology showed its effectiveness during the peaks of traffic when soccer fans from all over the world flew through Domodedovo for the matches. We are confident that this landmark project, which makes use of modern technologies, will raise the quality of passenger services at DME to a new level.”

Domodedovo was the first airport in Russia to introduce SITA’s sophisticated passenger flow management which uses smart validation and the automated gates for secure access control. Theyallow passengers to independently pass the security controls at the entrance to the departure zone,or to board the aircraft, by simply scanning their mobile or paper boarding pass.

In total, more than 150 automated gates will be installed in Terminals 1 and 2 in Domodedovo. SITA studies show that the use of its self-service gates can cut boarding times by as much as 50% reducing the risk of flight delays and improving passenger service. SITA’s automated gates and Airport iValidate technology are in use at leading airports across the world.

Dmitry Krasnov, SITA VP Russia and CIS, said: “We have helped many countries manage major events by introducing technology that automates the flow of passenger through major airports. From the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and this year in Russia. While these events are often the catalysts for introducing new technology, we continue to see the benefit of these investments well after the final whistle has gone. This is particularly the case in fast growth markets such Brazil and Russia where the number of passengers continues to grow rapidly.”

The introduction of SITA’s automated gates and Airport iValidate technology for passengers at Domodedovo Airport was a finalist in the Moscow Urban Forum Community Awards. This is an annual award for city communities, independent projects, private initiatives and start-ups that make a significant contribution to the development of Moscow. The introduction of the airport self-service gates was among the best in the “Urban Technologies” nomination.

Brussels | June 27, 2018– SITA, the air transport industry’s technology provider, today announced the launch of a major industry research project to explore the potential of blockchain. More than 100 top IT executives, attending SITA’s Customer Innovation Forum, were the first to be invited to join the Aviation Blockchain Sandbox.

SITA is investing in the infrastructure to accelerate industry-specific research into the viability of running multi-enterprise apps using distributed ledger technology, more commonly known as blockchain. The company is welcoming interested industry players to use the Aviation Blockchain Sandbox at no cost to them.

Barbara Dalibard, CEO, SITA, said: “Today we are inviting air transport organizations to work together so that we can collectively see how blockchain could work across our industry. Blockchain holds many promises but exploring these in individual organizations is not the most productive. As the technology company owned by airlines, SITA is in a position to work neutrally with multiple stakeholders to explore and test multi-enterprise applications. Through this collaborative innovation we will accelerate the learning for all.”

The airline industry has a long history of sharing information across multiple stakeholders to increase efficiency. At times, however, it faces difficulties when proprietary business information needs to be extracted or multiple data sources conflict. One of the key benefits of blockchain technology is the ability to have multi-enterprise applications. These work across multiple organizations locking data immutably into the blockchain rather than having individual applications running separately and exchanging data on a case-by-case basis. This is how this technology can provide a ‘single source of truth’ to all stakeholders.

The Aviation Blockchain Sandbox will be led and managed by SITA Lab, SITA’s technology research team, and will develop in three stages. To start, SITA is opening the FlightChain project to airlines and airports in September. FlightChain was SITA’s blockchain trial, with British Airways, Heathrow, Geneva Airport and Miami International Airport, using smart contracts for shared control of data. It stored flight information on the blockchain to provide a single source of truth. Now SITA is making it easy for other airlines and airports to join this research and test FlightChain for their own use.

For the second stage of this collaborative innovation, SITA will work with organizations that wish to test smart contracts across a number of airline and airport operational use cases. During the third stage of the research, which is expected to start in late 2018, SITA will enable participants to run their own node. This will give the organizations the opportunity to become more involved and to participate in the running of the network, including becoming custodians. Throughout all stages the participating organizations can be assured that the data being used in the blockchain sandbox will be stored confidentially.

Dalibard concluded: “Since we published the results of the FlightChain research, many of our airline and airport customers have expressed an interest in exploring the opportunities of blockchain with us and some have already committed to the Aviation Blockchain Sandbox. We encourage airlines, airports, ground handlers, governments and other organizations with a role in the air transport industry to take advantage of this opportunity to innovate together.”

Further details are available for interested organizations on Developer.aero.

20 airlines sign up to use SITA’s technology in just six months

Geneva | June 19, 2018– Global air transport IT provider SITA has announced that its technology, BagJourney, is managing baggage for an increasing number of the world’s airlines. In the first six months of this year alone, more than 20 airlines have chosen the solution. SITA BagJourney is one of the key technologies helping the industry meet the IATA Resolution 753 requirement to track every stage of every bag’s journey.

To meet the conditions of Resolution 753, airlines must track every item of baggage at four key points in the journey: at check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfer and arrival. The biggest challenge airlines and airports face doing this is scanning at the point of transfer and on arrival. Typically, these were not areas of the airport where scanning was done so they require attention and new infrastructure.

With a growing number of customers, SITA’s baggage management technology is firmly established as the solution of choice for the air transport industry. Together, SITA’s BagJourney customers handle hundreds of millions of bags each year and these airlines are enjoying as much as 30% reduction in the rates of mishandling.

Peter Drummond, Director, Baggage Solutions, SITA, said: “IATA’s resolution has brought a sharp focus on the potential for further improvements in baggage management. We at SITA have taken up the challenge and are helping airlines and airports quickly and effectively meet the new tracking requirements.  Working with our industry partners, we have developed new economical infrastructure enhancements for BagJourney.

“These offer the choice of handheld devices for scanning or scanning arches that are quick to install. Each airline and airport has different needs so we have ensured that the various hardware options are easily integrated into our BagJourney solution for fast implementation.”

John Fowler, Senior Director with responsibility for Customer Service, BahamasAir, said: “SITA gave us several options for improving our baggage tracking. Within just seven days we moved from manual ‘bingo card’ tallies to using handheld devices to track all bags at our two busiest baggage destinations, Nassau and Miami. After six months of tracking bags on our busiest route, we observed a 60% drop in the amount of claims due to baggage mishandling.

“We now plan to implement the new technology at all our stations using a phased approach. We will have it in place at the majority of destinations we fly to and hope to reach 100% Resolution 753 compliance by the end of the year. The ease of integration of the hardware and the sophisticated BagJourney solution is the key to success.”

SITA has been the recognized leader in bag tracking and tracing for more than 25 years with its systems in every major airport in the world. SITA BagJourney is the world’s first community-based baggage tracking system that provides an end-to-end view of the baggage journey using data from multiple sources. Today, SITA is leading the baggage community by providing technology and professional services to help airlines track baggage and unlock the value of the vast amounts of tracking data that will be produced.

SITA is hosting ‘Tracking Bags – A Turning Point in 2018’ today, June 19^th. This webinar features speakers from American Airlines and IATA, who together will discuss the latest trends and industry IT practices in baggage tracking. Places are limited, register now.

Airline will use Lido/Flight 4D, NetLine/Ops ++ and Revenue Integrity

Raunheim, Germany | June 12, 2018–Lufthansa Systems today announced that Air Malta will be optimizing its processes using IT solutions from Lufthansa Systems, thus saving the airline time and money. It will soon start planning flights with Lido/Flight 4D, monitoring flight operations with NetLine/Ops ++ and managing its flight firming with Revenue Integrity.

“We are in a growth phase and are headed towards a profitable future. We’ve set ourselves very ambitious goals. The IT solutions from Lufthansa Systems will help us achieve them. With these solutions, we can further optimize our route planning, improve our flight operations management and handle reservations more quickly. This will save us time and money,” said Alan Talbot CIO at Air Malta.

The Lido/Flight 4D flight planning solution calculates the most suitable route for each Air Malta flight based on all relevant flight data, such as weather conditions and the current airspace situation, including any restrictions. The solution enables airlines to optimize their flying time, costs and fuel consumption when planning routes. NetLine/Ops ++ monitors current flight operations. Air Malta can use this solution to avoid disruptions and significantly lower the costs incurred by delays. With its management-by-exception approach,NetLine/Ops ++ eliminates diversions caused by minor problems. The operations controller can focus on critical flights which demand a fast reaction. Revenue Integrity will support Air Malta in its primary revenue management goal: maximizing earnings. The solution improves the quality of reservation data and optimizes inventory control and demand forecasts. This lowers the compensation payments incurred through overbooking and losses on account of seat spoilage. Experts estimate that airlines can increase their revenue by around one euro per segment booked and thus improve their financial result by an average of two to three percent.

“Air Malta was won over by the high quality of our products as well as the potential savings and flexibility offered by our solutions. For example, we connected Revenue Integrity to a third-party reservation system for Air Malta,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

Air Malta is the flag carrier of Malta, with headquarters in Luqa. It began operating in 1974 and has a fleet of ten aircraft. Air Malta serves destinations in Europe, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

Lido/Flight 4D, Lido/Navigation and Lido/Performance: New features, agile develop­ment and enhancement, and in-depth exchange at customer conference in Madrid.

Raunheim | June 5, 2018–Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will be hosting its first ever joint user conference for customers of Lido/Flight 4D and Lido/Navigation this year. The Lido User Conference will take place this week from June 5 to 7 in Madrid. Using the tagline #takeoffwithlido, the airline IT experts from Lufthansa Systems will present innovations from their successful Lido product lines for flight planning and navigation.

“Digitalization is affecting the entire aviation industry. Airlines are increasingly investing in connectivity solutions and networked systems both on the flight deck and on the ground. This enables carriers to boost the efficiency of flight operations since data such as weather, airspace and traffic control information will be updated in real time. As a result, airline requirements for flight planning and navigation systems are changing. Everything is becoming more dynamic and data-driven,” said Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “This is why we have merged the previously independent Lido product lines. We have taken this decision to match our solutions perfectly to the collaboration between dispatchers and pilots. This ensures that flight operations overall become more efficient, thus enabling substantial savings to be generated. The approach pursued by Lido in this context is called ‘total mission optimization’ and expressly includes the Lido/Performance products.”

The Lido/Flight flight planning solution with its new generation Lido/Flight 4D has been marketed successfully for more than 20 years. Around 120 airlines are using the systems. Since 2015, Lufthansa Systems has worked intensively on developing Lido/Flight into the new Lido/Flight 4D generation to further increase the level of automation in flight planning and enable airlines to achieve even larger savings by benefiting from a new optimizer generation.

The Lido/Navigation success story is over 15 years old, with more than 100 airlines using the solution. In addition, Lufthansa Systems launched the Maps program to integrate various airport, takeoff/landing and enroute navigation maps. The goal is to produce a dynamic map solution. As the innovative Lido/Flight 4D, Lido/Navigation and Lido/Performance solutions continue to converge, Lufthansa Systems is taking its Lido product lines to the next level and creating new added value for airlines. Lido enables a seamless digital process for flight operations – from planning a flight to the aircraft’s parking position at the destination airport.

In addition to explaining the new strategy, this conference will offer breakout sessions on special topics, customer presentations on current projects and the opportunity for in-depth discussion. This will benefit around 270 product experts and customer representatives from about 70 airlines and partners attending the event.

Lufthansa Systems’ product optimizes management of codeshare flights

Raunheim | May 30, 2018–Lufthansa Systems today announced that Egypt Air will continue to use its SchedConnect codeshare management solution for the next five years. The airline recently renewed its contract with the aviation IT provider. SchedConnect helps airlines optimize the management of codeshare flights, reduce costs and increase revenues. Egypt Air has been using the solution since 2008.

“Our experience with SchedConnect has been excellent. As a member of the Star Alliance, we benefit from synchronized flight schedules inside and outside the airline alliance, for example,” said the Manager of the Schedule Management Department at Egypt Air. “Other plus points include the high-quality service from Lufthansa Systems and the many useful features. Thanks to the high degree of automation, we have saved a significant amount of time and money in our daily codeshare management tasks since introducing SchedConnect.”

SchedConnect is currently the most technologically advanced system of its kind. The solution ensures a high degree of automation by processing schedule data from 25 customers and their codeshare partners to calculate the optimal codeshare connections for the customers’ current schedules on a daily basis. If a minimum connecting time is violated due to a schedule change or if a partner flight is canceled, SchedConnect assigns the marketing flight number to another suitable connecting flight operated by the partner. Changes are sent through the reservation systems to travel agents and customers as well as to the operations and passenger-related systems of the airlines involved. In addition to SchedConnect, Egypt Air is also using the Lido/Flight 4D flight planning solution, the NetLine/Plan network planning solution and the Sirax AirFinance Platform for revenue accounting.

“Lufthansa Systems and Egypt Air are linked by a long-standing partnership. We have worked together since 2006 and look forward to our future cooperation. The renewed contract is a sign of the quality of our products,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

Egypt Air is the national carrier of Egypt, with headquarters in Cairo. It was founded in May 1932 as the seventh airline in the world. Since starting flight operations 86 years ago, the airline has experienced significant growth. Egypt Air now serves more than 75 destinations in numerous countries, with its biggest market in Europe and the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled passenger flights as well as cargo flights on a variety of international, regional and domestic routes. Egypt Air joined the Star Alliance in 2008.

London | May 16, 2018–Virgin Atlantic Airlines has extended its long relationship with SITA, with the global IT company providing secured, high-speed connectivity between the airline’s London hub to 66 airport, sales and cargo locations in 19 countries around the world.

Don Langford, CIO of Virgin Atlantic, said: “Our IT network is central to the running of Virgin Atlantic, linking every office around the world in real-time to our team in London. SITA has been, and will continue to be, integral to supporting that connectivity. We have had a strong partnership with SITA since the airline launched operations in 1984, with SITA’s solution evolving to meet our changing business requirements.”

Through SITA Connect, Virgin Atlantic has access to secure, reliable connectivity no matter where it flies to in the UK, the US, Africa, the Middle East, Asia or the Caribbean. SITA’s solution provides increased security and reduced network congestion for remote offices while ensuring rapid setup for new destinations and capacity adjustments, providing the airline greater flexibility in managing its operations.

SITA will manage the local area network (LAN) and wireless network, and provide end-user support at these locations. It will also leverage SITA AirportHub^TM infrastructure, an airport-wide shared connectivity platform that provides airlines, ground handlers and other airport tenants with secure and reliable bandwidth.

As part of the agreement, the airline has also extended its use of SITA’s Airfare Insight. This innovative, fares management solution provides competitive market intelligence and uses sophisticated algorithms to help Virgin Atlantic analyze fares and make more informed and accurate pricing decisions. This means the right fares are distributed at the right time, to the right customer.

While SITA continues to support Virgin Atlantic with its day-to-day operations, the airline and SITA have long worked together on some highly innovative projects and will continue to transform Virgin’s passenger experience at airports.

Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe, said: “SITA continues to provide Virgin Atlantic with stable, resilient and secure global services that help the airline’s operations run smoothly so its passengers continue to enjoy the Virgin experience. We look forward to strengthening our partnership from this base to further innovations that are rapidly changing the landscape of aviation.”

Almost 500 airline experts are meeting this week at one of the largest international airline IT user conferences. Lufthansa Systems will showcase the latest innovations in the digital world of aviation.

Raunheim | May 2, 2018– How do airlines plan their networks in the age of digitalization? What opportunities do artificial intelligence and machine learning offer for managing flight operations? And how will crews communicate with each other in the future? Lufthansa Systems will discuss these and other questions relating to the digital transformation of the aviation industry with its airline customers this week. The Airline Forum starts today at the Lufthansa Training & Conference Center in Seeheim under the slogan of “Transformation & YOU.” Almost 500 participants, among them representatives of around 80 airlines worldwide, will learn about the latest developments in the portfolio of the airline IT specialist. Lufthansa Systems advises and supports airlines in their digital transformation. The aviation IT experts show what sustainable airline processes can look like and provide hands-on support to customers in implementing their projects.

“The fourth industrial revolution – also known as Industry 4.0 – started long ago. An era of data communication, constant connectivity and a digital workforce. These new technologies massively influence an airline’s processes,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

The keynote on the topic of “Transforming business through data-driven personalization” will be held by Dr. Andreas Ribbrock, Principal Data Scientist at the Lufthansa Systems subsidiary zeroG, and Marcel Kling, head of the SMILE personalization program in the Lufthansa Group. Other customers will also have the opportunity to speak and report on successful projects, including Avianca Holdings and Pegasus Airlines. The next two and a half days will be devoted to some 80 lectures and workshops as well as personal conversations with product experts and other airlines. Attendees can put together their own individual program from a comprehensive range of topics.

The focus is on new product developments and innovations in the NetLine product family, which will be presented by experts from Lufthansa Systems and its industry partners. These include current research findings from the field of robust flight planning and the new Lufthansa Systems Analytical Platform. Consulting services relating to the new GDPR, among other things, are also on the agenda.

“At the Airline Forum, we want to show our customers how we are transforming our products and solutions using new technologies. And we want to talk about the challenges facing airlines in their digital transformation. We look forward to a lively conversation,” said Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

There will be ample opportunity for discussion particularly in the Garden of Transformation. This is where Airline Forum participants can try out the product innovations for themselves with live demos and talk to experts right after the sessions. Their feedback is critical to the further optimization of products.

Airline selects SITA for cloud support for its 200 offices worldwide across 60 countries

Jeddah | April 30, 2018–Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), the national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has selected SITA to support its strategic expansion plans by introducing modern, world-class IT infrastructure across 200 of the airline’s offices located in 100 cities and airports in 60 countries.

The solution will support the airline’s global IT infrastructure which connects all SAUDIA outstations with its headquarters and various data centers worldwide.

SITA, the IT provider to the air transport industry, will introduce its unique ATI Cloud solution, which will allow SAUDIA to manage and distribute its business applications, information and business services on-demand, anywhere in the world. The agreement also includes infrastructure, IT support and round-the-clock service through a dedicated service center.

SAUDIA’s incremental growth and global expansion has seen the airline open new offices in key cities and in turn, has developed new IT requirements to support the demand for the carrier’s continued growth in passenger numbers in the Kingdom and beyond.

Airlines are increasingly looking for specialized content and service providers to meet their requirements. SITA, with its global presence and expertize, was identified as a trusted partner to implement a solution that would drive greater efficiency and productivity.

Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines, His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser commented: “As the national carrier moves forward with expansion plans across the entire organization and operations, it is crucial that we continue investing in leading-edge, modern technology. SAUDIA has a critical role to play in the nation’s Vision 2030, and continues to grow both in the Kingdom and beyond.

“SITA has had a long working relationship with SAUDIA, and we believe this investment in new IT infrastructure will be vital in supporting our growing operations globally. SITA showcased very quick turn-around time and a future-proof solution that is adaptable to any site.”

Hani El-Assaad, SITA President Middle East, India and Africa, said: “With the rapid progress of hosted applications and cloud-based environments, it is the right time for SAUDIA to adopt cloud solutions across its network. From a commercial perspective, quick responses to IT services requests are essential for running a successful operation and ensuring happy passengers. We are delighted to continue working with the airline as it embarks on its new phase of growth.”

SITA CEO outlines the value of technology to manage the industry’s future

Asia Pacific Air Transport IT Summit, Singapore | April 18, 2018– The future of air transport will be driven by a digital transformation in the industry, according to Barbara Dalibard, CEO of global IT provider, SITA. Dalibard was speaking at the Asia Pacific Air Transport IT Summit which gathered C-level airline and airport executives from across the region to discuss the future in this dynamic growth region.

Asia Pacific is leading the tremendous growth in the air travel industry. By 2036, the region is expected to handle over 4.1 billion passengers – more than half of the world’s passenger traffic. With this growth comes challenges and stresses on infrastructure and processes. The industry also faces increased complexity and security regulation globally. Dalibard outlined how technology can provide real value and help the industry navigate the future.

Dalibard said: “Smart use of technology can help manage the challenges of rising passenger numbers, limited infrastructure and increased complexity. At SITA, we are looking at opportunities to harness technologies including biometrics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and blockchain to transform the industry.

“Already biometrics is becoming more commonplace at airports around the world and is delivering secure seamless travel from check-in to boarding. Today we work with around 40 governments providing border management solutions. And we have biometric self-service solutions operating worldwide, including in Australia, USA, Mexico and the Middle East.”

SITA is owned by the air transport industry and so has a unique commitment to address community issues. It is investing in new technologies with its industry partners. For example, SITA worked with British Airways, Heathrow, Geneva and Miami airports to explore the opportunity to use blockchain technology for the shared control of data.

Recently, SITA has also invested in research to help airlines and airports tackle the $25 billion annual cost of poor on-time performance. SITA’s technology harnesses advance machine learning and artificial intelligence to forecast aircraft arrival times as far out as 24 hours giving airports the opportunity to proactively manage and mitigate disruption.

Autonomous vehicles and the potential use of robotics is another field of development, with particular interest shown at the event in Kansai Airport’s trial of KATE, SITA’s autonomous check-in robot.

Dalibard added: “By embracing the Internet of Things and connecting everything across the industry we will produce more data which can be used with artificial intelligence to create valuable insights and expose new ways of working. Over the next 20 years, this use of digital technologies to improve service, operations and efficiency will have profound effects on the air transport industry.”

One example of where this is beginning to happen is baggage management. 2018 is the year the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Resolution 753 comes into effect, which will see the industry increase end-to-end baggage tracking. This tracking produces data which reveals where improvements can be made in baggage management processes.

Speaking on the topic, Dalibard commented: “While we won’t see a sudden change in 2018, it is a real turning point for the industry as airlines begin to unlock the value of the tracking data for the 4.65 billion bags they carry. Looking further ahead, combining data collected from bag tracking with data science and machine learning promises even more significant improvements in baggage handling operations. This in turn will reduce costs and improve the passenger experience, a transformation that will be welcomed by everyone.”

The image above is BCIA and it is the largest airport in China, with passenger volume that exceeded 90 million in 2016. It is positioned as the international hub airport in the overall design of the Jing-Jin-Ji airports group. To date it serves more than 28 domestic airlines, and 74 foreign airlines, with 132 international routes, and 147 domestic routes. It is also the home base airport for China’s flag carrier Air China. In the SITA story section below we have more on the latest SITA self-service technology it employs.

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AIRBUS

Vietnam’s FLC Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for up to 24 A321neo aircraft for future operation by start-up carrier Bamboo Airways. The agreements were signed in Paris by Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of FLC Group and Eric Schulz, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus during the official visit to France of Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Bamboo Airways is set to begin operations in 2019 with aircraft on lease from third party lessors before taking delivery of the aircraft covered by today’s MOU with Airbus. The carrier will focus on linking international markets to Vietnamese leisure destinations, as well as on selected domestic routes.

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BOEING/All Nippon Airways

Boeing and All Nippon Airways announced the Japanese carrier has placed a new order for two 777 Freighters valued at $678 million according to list prices. While ANA is a major operator of the 777 passenger jet, it has grown its cargo operation with the medium-sized 767 Freighter. In adding the 777 Freighter – the world’s largest and longest range twin-engine cargo jet – ANA is expanding its cargo capabilities just as the air freight market keeps growing at historically high rates.

Last year, the global air cargo market grew 9 percent, more than double the long-term projected growth rate of about 4.2 percent. In January, the above-trend growth continued with an 8 percent increase in demand. Industry experts say the strong performance reflects global economic trade, fueled in large part by expanding e-commerce.

ANA says it plans to fly its new 777 Freighters on international routes, particularly to Asia, China, and North America. With this order, ANA will become the first airline in Japan to operate 777 Freighters.

The 777 Freighter is capable of flying 4,900 nautical miles (9,070 kilometers) with a payload of 112 tons (102 metric tonnes or 102,000 kg). The airplane’s long range translates into significant savings as fewer stops mean lower landing fees, less congestion, lower cargo handling costs and shorter delivery times.

Boeing is the air cargo market leader, providing over 90 percent of the dedicated freighter capacity around the world.

BOEING/Singapore Airlines

Boeing and Singapore Airlines celebrated the delivery of the first 787-10 airplane, the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and a jet that will set a new global standard for fuel efficiency. About 3,000 people marked the milestone at Boeing’s facility in North Charleston, South Carolina where the latest 787 model is manufactured.

Like the other 787 Dreamliners, the 787-10 is designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems, and comfortable cabin features. The 787-10, though, features a longer fuselage which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.

With the additional capacity, the 787-10 provides airlines the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody airplane in service today. Singapore Airlines plans to puts its 787-10s into scheduled service in May, with flights from Singapore to Osaka, Japan and Perth, Australia. Prior to the introduction of these services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes

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SITA

Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA), which handles more than 95 million passengers a year, has chosen air transport IT specialist, SITA, to provide technology to boost capacity. Asia’s busiest airport is using SITA’s self-service kiosks for passenger check-in services on all Air China domestic flights departing from Terminal 3. The new kiosks are designed to support the wide range of travel documents typically used by passengers on these flights. BCIA will use up to 70 SITA AirportConnect® Kiosks to help Air China process passengers faster, while freeing up airport and airline staff to focus on other aspects of the passenger experience. They feature boarding-pass and bag-tag printers; passport and Chinese ID card readers; and large user-friendly screens. Uniquely, they support a wide range of travel documents including those of Hong Kong/Macau and Taiwan residents traveling to mainland China, as well as ex-pats who reside in China permanently.

SITA/India

SITA continues to play a vital role in supporting the rapid growth of India’s air transport industry, providing key technology solutions to one of the country’s newest airports. The Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) has turned to SITA to provide passenger processing solutions for check-in and boarding, as well as baggage tracking. Air passenger numbers in India have consistently seen double-digit growth over the past few years, significantly outperforming the global average. The country is on target to become the third-biggest aviation market by 2025. SITA has long supported the industry in India and MIHAN joins a vast footprint of airports and airlines across India using SITA technology.

As part of the new agreement, MIHAN is deploying SITA’s common-use technology, enabling airlines and their handling agents to access their IT applications in real-time on shared common-use equipment. SITA’s Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) allows any airline to use any agent desk, gate position or self-service kiosk for passenger check-in and bag drop.

The airport will also deploy SITA’s baggage tracking solution. Worldwide, bags get mishandled every day which causes disruption for passengers and costs the industry billions of dollars but by providing real-time information on baggage status, SITA BagManager will allow MIHAN to accurately track passengers’ bags and significantly reduce the likelihood of them being mishandled.

MIHAN is the biggest economic development project currently underway in India. The project aims to exploit the central location of Nagpur and convert the present airport into a major cargo hub with integrated road and rail connectivity. The airport is expected to accommodate up to 14 million passengers once completed in 2035.

SITA Passenger Services System

Jeju Air, South Korea’s first low cost carrier, has extended its partnership with SITA for Horizon® Passenger Services System (PSS) to support its business growth. The new multi-year deal, with global IT provider, SITA, includes key components, such as pricing, ancillary revenues, passenger preferences, e-commerce channels and local language services. The airline is also adding SITA’s Horizon® Business Intelligence which offers comprehensive data analysis to identify, evaluate and act on trends, challenges and opportunities.

Jeju Air began its operations in 2005 and SITA’s PSS has been an integral part of the airline’s operations from the start. Since then, Jeju Air has grown and continues to grow exponentially, and is using extensive PSS functionalities to support their sales and distribution strategies. SITA’s PSS is well positioned to serve Jeju Air’s passenger management services and operations and is future-proofed to support the airline for the coming years.

SITA Smart Path

With its leading Smart PathTM biometric solution for ID management now rolled out globally, air transport IT provider SITA is well poised to deliver a seamless, paperless travel experience for passengers across India. SITA has already shown the benefits of using biometric technology to automate passenger identity checks at airports across the world – from the USA to Australia – and is well positioned to help unlock the full benefits of seamless, biometric travel across India.

SITA is already successfully helping airports and airlines incorporate biometrics into their existing infrastructure and government systems. According to Biometrics for Better Travel: An ID Management Revolution, a SITA report published this week, airlines and airports are increasingly investing in various forms of biometric technology. Over the next three years, 63% of airports and 43% of airlines plan to invest in biometric ID management solutions.

In the USA, SITA is using facial biometrics to help passengers flying with British Airways from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to London Gatwick to quickly board where all that is needed is a photo – no passport, no boarding card. The system integrates the US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) and airline’s IT systems to authorize boarding while completing necessary US exit checks in a single process. SITA is providing a similar solution to JetBlue at Boston’s Logan Airport.

At Australia’s Brisbane Airport, SITA has introduced its Smart Path™ technology which allows passengers to register their biometric details at a self-service kiosk at check-in and then, when ready to board, use an automated boarding gate to be verified using face recognition technology to access the aircraft. Aadhaar, India’s biometric identity system, has over one billion enrolled members. Indian passengers have shown greater willingness to use biometrics to speed up their journey through the airport. Research published in SITA’s 2017 Passenger IT Trends Survey showed that 70% of passengers in India said they would definitely use biometrics if given the option, removing the need to show a passport or boarding card at key points in the airport. This was well above the global average of 57%.

SITA BagManager

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages 126 airports across India, has expanded SITA’s baggage management solution to 15 airports. SITA’s BagManager will provide the airports with real-time information on the status of passengers’ baggage, significantly reducing the chances of baggage mishandling. This follows the implementation of SITA’s BagManager at Kolkata and Chennai Airports in 2015 and is in line with the AAI’s vision of rolling out standard airport infrastructure across all their airports to drive greater efficiency across the airport network. The implementation of SITA’s baggage solution will also help AAI’s customer airlines progress towards complying with IATA Resolution 753 by tracking bags across key points in the journey.

The 15 airports are Trivandrum, Calicut, Mangalore, Tirupati, Chennai, Madurai, Kolkatta, Goa, Lucknow, Jaipur, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Trichy and Ahmedabad.

Service Provider of the Year

SITA has been named Service Provider of the Year in the prestigious annual Air Transport Awards held in Dubai. The winners are voted for by the readers of Air Transport News and a jury of international aviation experts, chaired by Henrik Hololei, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission. The Service Provider of the Year award was given to SITA in recognition of its role in providing IT and communication solutions globally to the air transport industry. SITA’s unique role as the community provider – being owned by the industry – means it has an unprecedented understanding of the industry’s requirements, combined with dedicated teams around the world which deliver services needed to keep people flying. Barbara Dalibard, CEO, SITA said: “Being named as Service Provider of the Year at the 2018 Air Transport Awards is a significant achievement and a strong validation of our unwavering collaboration and contribution to the air transport community. To be selected by our industry peers for this award is testament that our continued focus on delivering real value to the community is both justified and valued by the industry. In recent months, SITA has taken the lead in the development of biometric solutions. This has included innovation solutions for airlines and airports as well as looking to the future uses of biometrics as the technology develops. A key innovation is SITA’s Smart PathTM solution which allows passengers to use their biometric identity every step of the way.

The Air Transport Industry Awards were presented at a ceremony at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai.

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OTHER NEWS

• Want to see how to move a B-52 jet bomber … on the ground (Part 1)?
• Heard about DoNotPay? They call it “automatic flight and hotel protection.” Now, the service has been updated with the ability to help customers get on the cheapest flight to their destination. Once booked, the app will check prices across the Internet (we hear 17,000 times a day!) And yes, it is legal! They say: “Flight and hotel prices change all the time. DoNotPay finds travel confirmations from past bookings in your inbox. When the price drops, our robot lawyer will find a legal loophole to negotiate a cheaper price or rebook you.” Check it out: DoNotPay
• Atlanta Airport Wi-Fi has been turned off (as of 3/26/18) because of the SamSam ransomware hack. Noted CSO: “As for human resources, applications for new employment had been suspended; the Department of Corrections was manually processing inmates; and public Wi-Fi via the Department of Aviation had been “disabled out of an abundance of caution.” In other words, even if people were not from Atlanta, they could have felt the sting of the attack, as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was noted as being the “world’s busiest airport.” Aviation related computer attacks, especially airports, are getting worse
• Of course light can be used in connectivity, and it might not be a signal source of aircraft interference data – Technology – pureLiFi

South Korea’s first low cost carrier to continue using flexible PSS as it grows business

Jeju Island, South Korea | March 22, 2018– Jeju Air, South Korea’s first low cost carrier, has extended its partnership with SITA for Horizon^® Passenger Services System (PSS) to support its business growth. The new multi-year deal, with global IT provider, SITA, includes key components, such as pricing, ancillary revenues, passenger preferences, e-commerce channels and local language services. The airline is also adding SITA’s Horizon^® Business Intelligence which offers comprehensive data analysis to identify, evaluate and act on trends, challenges and opportunities.

Jeju Air began its operations in 2005 and SITA’s PSS has been an integral part of the airline’s operations from the start. Since then, Jeju Air has grown and continues to grow exponentially, and is using extensive PSS functionalities to support their sales and distribution strategies. SITA’s PSS is well positioned to serve Jeju Air’s passenger management services and operations and is future-proofed to support the airline for the coming years.

Seok-Joo Lee, CEO, Jeju Air said: “Renewing with SITA is good for our business because Horizon PSS provides us with a flexible and value-based passenger services system. I have no doubt that it will continue to allow us to expand internationally while remaining aligned to our core values, because it is an agile solution that fits our business model well.

“The new advanced business intelligence services will help us find new opportunities to improve the passenger experience, while making intelligent decisions on strategic and operational issues. On top of that, the strong working relationship and support from the SITA local team is very much appreciated.”

Jeju Air has a fleet of more than 30 Boeing 737-800s, with plans to expand to 50 over the next two years as demand for low cost travel increases, both within South Korea and across the region. As the airline grows, its IT infrastructure will also need to expand to ensure it continues to be efficient and cost-effective.

Sumesh Patel, SITA President, Asia Pacific, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting Jeju Air as it grows and that’s a role we’ll continue playing. As well as the Horizon PSS functionality that we’re already providing, the Horizon Business Intelligence will enable the airline to unlock the value of its data. Looking ahead, we can also add further modules, such as self-service applications, social media connectivity and other upgrades. In this way Jeju Air can be confident that we will support their evolving business needs.”

Leveraging India’s Aadhaar system will create the world’s most efficient travel system

Air Transport IT Summit, Jaipur, India | March 22, 2018– With its leading Smart Path^TM biometric solution for ID management now rolled out globally, air transport IT provider SITA is well poised to deliver a seamless, paperless travel experience for passengers across India.

SITA has already shown the benefits of using biometric technology to automate passenger identity checks at airports across the world – from the USA to Australia – and is well positioned to help unlock the full benefits of seamless, biometric travel across India.

Maneesh Jaikrishna, SITA Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa, speaking at the Air Transport IT Summit in Jaipur, said: “Leveraging India’s national Aadhaar biometric identity system – one of the biggest in the world – together with our proven common-use and Smart Path^TM technology, SITA will be able to deliver a seamless biometric experience across all airlines and airports – both domestic and international – in India. This would allow passengers to use their biometric identity no matter where they travel.”

SITA is already successfully helping airports and airlines incorporate biometrics into their existing infrastructure and government systems. According to Biometrics for Better Travel: An ID Management Revolution, a SITA report published this week, airlines and airports are increasingly investing in various forms of biometric technology. Over the next three years, 63% of airports and 43% of airlines plan to invest in biometric ID management solutions.

In the USA, SITA is using facial biometrics to help passengers flying with British Airways from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to London Gatwick to quickly board where all that is needed is a photo – no passport, no boarding card. The system integrates the US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) and airline’s IT systems to authorize boarding while completing necessary US exit checks in a single process. SITA is providing a similar solution to JetBlue at Boston’s Logan Airport.

At Australia’s Brisbane Airport, SITA has introduced its Smart Path™ technology which allows passengers to register their biometric details at a self-service kiosk at check-in and then, when ready to board, use an automated boarding gate to be verified using face recognition technology to access the aircraft.

SITA’s vision for the future strongly supports India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation’s decision to work with the air transport industry to create a “digitally unified flying experience”. Citizens’ national biometric identification cards and foreigner’s passports could be linked with the databases of airlines, airports and other stakeholders to deliver a seamless, secure travel experience at every step in the journey.

Hani El-Assaad, SITA President, Middle East, India and Africa, said: “In many respects, India is leading the way with the use of biometrics in all walks of life. We feel this presents an opportunity for the Government of India to work with the air transport industry and lead the way to drive new efficiencies in passenger processing and establish India as the world’s most efficient travel system.”

Aadhaar, India’s biometric identity system, has over one billion enrolled members. Indian passengers have shown greater willingness to use biometrics to speed up their journey through the airport. Research published in SITA’s  2017 Passenger IT Trends Survey showed that 70% of passengers in India said they would definitely use biometrics if given the option, removing the need to show a passport or boarding card at key points in the airport. This was well above the global average of 57%.

Maneesh Jaikrishna, said: “Many travelers are comfortable with the use of biometrics and see the benefits of using them throughout their journey. This aligns perfectly with the need to find more efficient ways to manage rising passenger numbers. There is little doubt that this technology is the key to resolving India’s constraints on airport infrastructure.”

India is expected to see passenger numbers grow by 337 million over the next 20 years to 2036, more than tripling from the 141 million passengers in 2016, according to IATA’s 20-year Air Passenger Forecast.

Airports Authority of India to use SITA BagManager to improve baggage handling at airports

Air Transport IT Summit, Jaipur, India | March 22, 2018– The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages 126 airports across India, has expanded SITA’s baggage management solution to 15 airports. SITA’s BagManager will provide the airports with real-time information on the status of passengers’ baggage, significantly reducing the chances of baggage mishandling.

This follows the implementation of SITA’s BagManager at Kolkata and Chennai Airports in 2015 and is in line with the AAI’s vision of rolling out standard airport infrastructure across all their airports to drive greater efficiency across the airport network. The implementation of SITA’s baggage solution will also help AAI’s customer airlines progress towards complying with IATA Resolution 753 by tracking bags across key points in the journey.

The 15 airports are Trivandrum, Calicut, Mangalore, Tirupati, Chennai, Madurai, Kolkatta, Goa, Lucknow, Jaipur, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Trichy and Ahmedabad.

As part of the expanded agreement, the AAI will also deploy SITA Airport Management Solution to two further airports – Goa and Lucknow airports – taking the total number of India airports using this technolgy to 12. SITA Airport Management Solution is a suite of integrated software applications designed to support and enhance airport operations from landside to airside, from landing to take off. With SITA Airport Management Solution, the airports will have access to real-time data to better anticipate, plan and control their operations.

Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman of Airports Authority of India, said: “As passenger traffic increases across India, we need to be smarter in the way we manage our airports and smart technology is the answer. SITA’s experience in India and its solutions make it possible to manage our network of airports in a more efficient and effective way, delivering a better service to our passengers while accommodating rapidly rising passenger numbers.”

The AAI continues to invest in new airport infrastructure and technology across India to meet growing passenger traffic. India is expected to become the third biggest passenger market by 2025 with more than 400 million passengers a year. This investment includes new development works at Lucknow, Deoghar, Rajkot and Allahabad airports.

Maneesh Jaikrishna, SITA Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa said: “India has long been an important market for SITA. With our sharpened focus on delivering solutions at the airport – including passenger processing and baggage management – we are able to support AAI with new technologies that make it easier to operate their airports and deliver a great passenger experience.”