SITA: Digital Technologies Can Help Travel Industry Navigate Current Environment

SITA is once again emphasizing the importance of digital transformation in the air travel industry. The company argued that airlines will need to take advantage of new technologies to navigate the current environment, in which they are facing a new crisis in Ukraine and Russia while still dealing with the lingering effects of COVID-19.

On that front, SITA noted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could drive up energy prices around the world, while airlines will need to divert their flights to avoid airspace in Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, travel volumes are still down from their peak prior to the pandemic, and airlines still need to account for health screening policies that differ from country to country.

Given the stakes, SITA believes that airlines need to embrace digital technologies in order to balance all of their obligations, and to lure passengers back with safe and convenient travel experiences. With regards to the latter, that means that airport operators need to continue on the path they have been on during the pandemic, during which they have increasingly embraced contactless and automated screening solutions that allow airports to move people through more quickly. That includes biometric boarding gates, self-bag drop systems, and mobile apps that allow people to start their travel journey before they even get to the airport.

Technology can also help travel stakeholders improve their internal operations. Data analytics can make airport management more efficient, and lead to better flight paths that minimize emissions and overall fuel consumption. The latter can help airlines reduce their carbon footprint, and bring them closer to IATA’s carbon zero goal in time for 2050.

Finally, SITA suggested that digital technologies are a necessary component of a connected world. The company believes that its offerings can streamline the interactions between airports and airlines and the governments that control the borders at airports all over the world.

Previously, SITA found that air industry stakeholders have demonstrated that they are willing to invest in modern technologies in its most recent IT Insights Report.

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April 12, 2022 – by Eric Weiss