SITA eyes ‘new era of travel’
Airport IT provider SITA says its acquisition of Materna IPS, a leader in passenger handling for airports and airlines “will reshape the entire aviation industry”.
Further, SITA says the move – subject to regulatory approval – will create the world’s most powerful passenger portfolio for airports and digital travel.
Materna IPS will integrate with SITA’s portfolio of solutions, including biometrics, computer vision, digital travel and airport operations management.
Materna IPS’s portfolio allows airports to process more passengers and optimise resources to give travellers a better experience. They are market leaders in Self-Bag Drop, with a customer base spanning North America, India, Europe, and Japan.
“This is an exciting new era of travel. SITA’s biggest acquisition ever is about to change the landscape of the whole aviation industry,” said David Lavorel, SITA CEO.
“By combining our solutions and expertise we’ll take the passenger journey, and the operations around it, to a dimension of efficiency never seen before.”
Traveloka onboard with Cebu Pacific
Traveloka has struck a strategic partnership with Filipino low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) to attract more Thai and South-east Asian tourists to visit the Philippines.
An application programming interface will allow inbound travellers to explore CEB flights through the travel app.
Traveloka recorded a 2.5-fold increase in searches to the top five airports in the Philippines in 2024 compared to last year. The five most popular destinations in the Philippines on the Traveloka platform include Manila, Laguindingan, Cebu, Davao, Boracay, and Palawan.
Eve Air takes off with Saudi Technic
Eve Air Mobility have signed an MoA to help Saudia Technic maintain its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the region.
The agreement includes eVTOL maintenance and repair training and the evaluation of the infrastructure requirements and processes for the potential reassembly of Eve’s eVTOL in Saudi Arabia.
China travel surge boosts Trip.com
China’s online travel group Trip.com Group has seen both its domestic and international businesses surge in the first quarter of 2024. Domestic hotel and air bookings each increased by more than 20% year over year, while outbound hotel and air bookings both increased by more than 100% year over year.
Total revenue generated from the global OTA platform Trip.com increased by around 80%.
“The year 2024 has begun with a significant increase in both domestic and outbound travel demand in China, facilitated by a more stabilised supply and further relaxation of visa requirements,” said executive chairman, James Liang.
