SITA has announced its acquisition of Materna IPS, an IT services firm specializing in passenger handling in the air travel sector. SITA, meanwhile, is of course known for its biometric systems including facial recognition for seamless check-in, boarding, and security processes.
In announcing the acquisition, SITA highlighted Materna IPS’s work in self-bag drop technology allowing travelers to check their luggage using automated systems. The company asserted that Materna IPS is a market leader in this area, with a strong presence spanning North America, India, Europe, and Japan.
SITA CEO David Lavorel called it the company’s “biggest acquisition ever”, adding that it would transform the aviation industry.
“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,” he said. “Airports and airlines will get the most innovative passenger handling solutions available. Passengers all over the world can look forward to a new horizon in smooth, seamless, and contactless travel.”
The acquisition offers the latest sign of SITA’s ambitions to become a lynchpin of digital transformation in the air travel sector, following the recent news that it had led a Series A investment round for Indicio, a Seattle-based startup working on decentralized identity technology for the travelers. The companies had announced last summer that they were working together on Digital Travel Credentials that travelers could use as a digital version of a passport, storing the credentials in their smartphones.
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May 22, 2024 – by Alex Perala
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