MUMBAI, 13 July 2023: SITA, a technology provider for the travel and transport industry, secured a landmark deal with the Airports Authority of India to support one of the biggest growth markets globally, providing technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports.
India’s Civil Aviation is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and will be a major growth engine to make India a USD5 trillion economy by 2024.
The deal will see improvements in over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, paving the way for adopting new-age solutions to meet modern passengers’ expectations. Initially deployed across 43 airports, the technologies are scalable to an additional 40 airports over the next seven years. Over 500 million passengers are expected to be processed during this period.
The rollout of new cloud technology will enable Indian airports to shift to common-use passenger experiences where multiple airlines can leverage the same infrastructure, such as check-in counters, self-service kiosks, and boarding gates.
Cloud solutions also bring new agility and flexibility to scale airport operations efficiently as passenger numbers grow. The cloud-first approach enforces better security and offers airlines a platform to host new progressive technologies and move away from native applications. Centralised cloud hosting of all servers reduces on-premise infrastructure costs and results in centralised control, enabling proactive monitoring and control of services.
The solutions will give passengers more control over their journey, offering a low-touch, efficient check-in, bag drop, and collection process through assisted and self-service mechanisms. The airports will benefit from a reduced infrastructure footprint and increased operational efficiency. At the same time, airlines will see service charges drop and can use an agile technology platform to build bespoke passenger experiences.
Under the agreement, SITA will deploy its state-of-the-art solutions, including SITA Flex, CUPPS, SITA CUSS, and SITA Bag Manager. These IATA-certified platforms offer airlines and ground handlers the benefits of common-use technologies, enabling scalable operations to meet their specific operational requirements.
The Baggage Reconciliation System ensures a high level of baggage accountability, preventing losses and security concerns, which is critical to industry recovery amidst a spiralling baggage mishandling rate.
This project represents a significant shift towards adopting cutting-edge technological platforms, enhancing operational efficiencies, and paving the way for the future adoption of biometric passenger processing. Additionally, real-time dashboard-based information will be available to governing agencies, promoting transparency and informed decision-making.
