(08/07/24) SITA just lately reported report outcomes for 2023, with revenues reaching virtually US$ 1.5 billion, a rise of seven% on 2022, with indicators that the corporate is heading in direction of an identical constructive efficiency this yr.
Unveiling the outcomes at SITA’s Annual Common Meeting in June, SITA CEO David Lavorel additionally cited development in margin and EBITDA, which exceeded plans by 4%.
“Every one of our customers and members benefits from our strong performance and growth,” stated Lavorel. “It means we can self-fund our portfolio evolutions and explore further innovation opportunities. This is vital as we address the big trends now facing travel and take on new technologies to shape our industry’s future. Our portfolio developments and innovations are preparing the industry for the years ahead, delivering seamless and touchless journeys, operational efficiency, resilience and agility, sustainability, and more.”
SITA additionally noticed report contracts and partnerships to rework journey at airports and borders, by means of digital identities, biometric and mobile-enabled self-service and digital borders.
SITA e-boarding gate at DMK in Bangkok, Thailand. Image by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
Examples embody biometric touchpoints for airline passengers at Frankfurt Airport, a digital journey and sustainability collaboration with the Arab Air Carriers Group, and continued world-leading trials in Aruba, utilizing ICAO’s Digital Journey Credential (DTC) commonplace.
As well as, SITA’s settlement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will see the newest passenger processing options and cloud-enablement for 44 airports in India, getting ready the nation for a future of accelerating development in passenger visitors.
With the return of journey comes the necessity to make operations extra environment friendly. The launch of recent companies for the SITA Join Go SD-WAN resolution offers the trade the chance to obtain this aim, as a platform for trade digitalization. Qatar Airways and Biman Bangladesh Airways grew to become early clients, utilizing the answer to assist gas development.
In one other main pattern, collaborative IT for plane helps to make flights extra environment friendly and sustainable, utilizing AI and data-driven operational instruments.
In 2023, numerous airways – embody Azul, Singapore Airways, AIX Join, Vistara and extra – took on SITA OptiFlight to scale back gas consumption and CO2 emissions by higher planning struggle paths.
“We’ve significantly over-achieved the first year goals of our business plan to grow SITA. As a result, we entered 2024 with a strong tailwind,” stated Lavorel. “With 75 successful years behind us, we’re looking to the future of travel. Our mission is to prepare our customers to deliver the ultimate travel and transport experience, with the most advanced, efficient, and sustainable technologies.”
Persevering with the deal with journey trade operational efficiencies and sustainability, 2024 has seen the launch of SITA Complete Airport Optimizer, an AI-powered platform designed to assist airports handle each facet of their operations.
By a partnership with Univers, the answer additionally brings sustainability into the center of operational choice making, serving to airports to observe and report vitality utilization, emissions from plane and different automobiles, and their carbon footprint.
The momentum in 2024 continued with SITA’s acquisition of Materna IPS, a frontrunner in passenger dealing with options for airports and airways, and Self Bag-Drop.
SITA adopted that acquisition with the launch of SmartSea by means of an settlement with Columbia Shipmanagement.
SmartSea will give the maritime trade entry to the identical superior expertise that’s reworking the air transport trade, and comes at a time when SITA is taking a look at much more enlargement into cruise, rail and vertiports.
SITA additionally just lately acquired ASISTIM, an organization famend for its managed airline flight operations companies, paving the best way for airways of all sizes to outsource a part of their flight operations, by means of a fully-fledged airline flight Operations Management Middle (OCC) managed service.
“This is an exciting time for the travel industry,” stated Lavorel. “Major trends such as digitalization and sustainability will uproot the way we work, forever. For 75 years we’ve helped air transport step into the future. Now we’re positioned to help the wider travel and transport industries to create ever more frictionless journey experiences, achieve operational efficiencies and resilience, and address sustainability requirements.”
SITA – Interview with Sumesh Patel, President – Asia Pacific
To study extra about a few of the above investments and traits inside the Asia Pacific area, Steven Howard of Journey Information Asia sat down with Sumesh Patel, President of SITA Asia Pacific.
On this interview, filmed over the web on 8 July 2024, Steven asks about a few of the current acquisitions, what they imply to SITA and whether or not there’s scope for extra within the future.
We talk about seamless journey and what SITA’s imaginative and prescient is for the way forward for journey, what position the corporate will play in bringing air, rail and different floor transport collectively, and what challenges SITA faces in doing so.
We talk about SITA’s current partnership with Singapore College of Know-how and Design (SUTD) and Steven asks what position Materna IPS’ acquisition will play and whether or not SITA is trying to hyperlink up with different main universities within the area to trial modern options that might ultimately rework the general journey expertise.
Sumesh tells us extra in regards to the outcomes from the most up-to-date Baggage IT Insights report and explains why he believes the Asia Pacific area is up to now forward of different areas all over the world and what challenges SITA faces in lowering the charges additional.
We additionally talk about biometrics and self-service expertise, with Sumesh sharing his ideas on how far such expertise can go and whether or not there’s nonetheless a necessity or need for a real smile and human contact in journey any longer. All that and a lot, way more within the video and podcast under.
