SITA sees revenue growth

SITA chief Francesco Violante said:  “In the context of the worsening economic downturn, SITA performed well in 2008.  Not only were overall revenues up at $1.472 billion but also for the third year in a row we have won over $1 billion worth of new business. This is because IT and communications are now such an essential part of the daily operational life of the air transport industry and play a crucial role in managing costs and increasing productivity.”

Last year, the 75 airlines SITA support on its e-ticketing platform, issued over 82 million e-tickets compared to just 10.6 million two years ago.  And it reported a healthy decline in lost luggage claims from 14.2 million in 2007 to 11.9m last year.

“This is a remarkable acceleration of a change that is saving the industry millions as online booking and paperless travel become more prevalent,” said Hani El Assaad, Vice-President for Middle East and Turkey.