Technology

Emirates SkyCargo upgrades booking experience with WebCargo

eNethersole — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:45:11 +0000

Working with WebCargo by Freightos, an air cargo booking platform, Emirates SkyCargo customers will have quick and easy direct access to the cargo airline’s flights and inventory to make direct bookings.

"Emirates SkyCargo continues to develop and implement digital technologies that enable us to improve our operations at the backend and enhance our customer experience at the frontline. Partnering with WebCargo enables us to improve access to our products and services, and provide a secure and convenient booking channel for our customers. This is one of several initiatives in the pipeline as we work hard to ensure that every Emirates SkyCargo touchpoint, from booking to tracking to delivery, is a world class experience for our customers," said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

Zvi Schreiber, CEO of the Freightos Group, said: "We are proud to partner with Emirates SkyCargo, one of the world’s largest airlines, on their journey to power more efficient supply chains. WebCargo connects over 10,000 freight forwarding offices globally to airlines representing over 40 per cent of available global air cargo capacity and we continue to see that instant pricing and booking, whether on WebCargo.co or via WebCargo’s APIs, delivers dramatic improvements in efficiency and data reliability, while providing the flexibility needed to navigate today’s supply chain disruptions."

Emirates SkyCargo is rolling out customer access to the WebCargo platform in a phased manner, with Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, The United Kingdom and Turkey going live tomorrow. By the end of October, Emirates SkyCargo’s inventory on the WebCargo platform will be available to customers across all of Europe, followed by Australia and the United States in November.

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Tue, 27/09/2022 - 12:00

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Emirates SkyCargo is adding a new channel for its customers around the world to directly access and book its flights for cargo shipments, in a digital-led move to enhance user experience and booking efficiency.

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SITA and Middle East Airlines renew airport baggage technology contract

eNethersole — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:55:15 +0000

The technology will significantly reduce operational costs for the airport and airline, with the server-less design avoiding on-site interventions to refresh, upgrade, maintain, and support multiple obsolete devices, such as servers.

By installing SITA’s Bag Manager cloud solution, the airport will be able to process around nine million bags per year compared to three million bags in previous years without any significant equipment investment. Airports globally are looking to increase the volume of passengers and capacity and regain lost revenues from the pandemic, with baggage handling presenting a significant obstacle to overcome.

The cloud-based technology solution will be pivotal in reducing the number of mishandled bags and supporting quick repatriation of mishandled ones, leading to higher customer satisfaction and decreased costs. SITA Bag Manager tracks every bag loaded onto an aircraft, a unit load device (ULD), or a cart. It scans and evaluates the characteristics of each bag against the flight parameters to ensure bags are loaded onto the right aircraft.

The SITA Baggage IT Insights 2022 report revealed that the global mishandled baggage rate increased by 24% to 4.35 bags per thousand passengers in 2021 as the industry recovered from the pandemic, primarily impacted by the quick resumption of international travel and reduced workforces.

Dr. Adib Charif, Head of IT, MEA, said: "SITA has been the provider of BRS at Rafic Hariri International Airport - Beirut since 2009, and we're excited to continue our technology partnership with this next stage of our digitalisation programme. By moving a server-based system to the cloud, we've cut down on cumbersome operation procedures, eliminated regular maintenance costs, and freed up resources to focus on other essential services. We're committed to giving passengers a seamless passenger journey and leading the way in the region during the industry recovery".

Hani El Asaad, President, Middle East & Africa SITA, said: "We've seen a global trend in the rate of mishandled bags increasing in line with the rapid resumption of international travel. Technology holds the solutions to the challenges our industry is facing during this transformative post-pandemic period, where airports and airlines need to achieve more with less. We're excited to partner again with MEA to deliver a smart and agile cloud-based solution to overcome these hurdles, increase operational efficiency and boost passenger confidence.”

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Tue, 27/09/2022 - 12:00

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SITA and Middle East Airlines–Air Liban (MEA) have renewed a technology contract and moved the airport's baggage reconciliation system (BRS) at Rafic Hariri International Airport.

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Jazeera Airways launches ‘Jazeera Global’ in partnership with Dohop

eNethersole — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:27:25 +0000

Jazeera Global enables passengers to book connections from Jazeera flights on to other airlines to various destinations in a single seamless transaction, on the Jazeera website and App.

With the help of Dohop's API-based technology, Jazeera will have access to a network of airlines, including Turkey-based Pegasus Airlines, allowing customers to book tickets across airlines that do not have traditional interline or code-sharing agreements.

Initially there are 23 new destination options which connect with Jazeera flights including London, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Athens plus regional airports in Turkey.

Jazeera Airways chief executive officer, Rohit Ramachandran, said: “This is a unique offering to help our passengers connect from Kuwait to destinations in Europe. We are pleased to be working with Dohop and their platform and look forward to expanding the service over time.”

"We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in the Middle East. Partnering with an innovative and forward-thinking airline like Jazeera only highlights the need for alternative interline solutions in international markets. We anticipate extending our collaboration with Jazeera as we enter the final quarter of 2022 and expanding their offering through additional partner connections,“ added Sarah Hanan, Commercial Director at Dohop.

Posted date

Mon, 26/09/2022 - 12:00

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Jazeera Airways has entered a new partnership with Icelandic technology provider, Dohop.

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Qatar Airways Cargo focuses on Digital Transformation

eNethersole — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:16:51 +0000

“Digital tools are an enabler and an enhancement of our service portfolio, giving our customers a broad and varied choice of how they wish to interact with us, and our employees the tools for proactive rather than reactive engagement. Our digital developments are based on reducing process inefficiencies so that customers receive a faster turn-around. These adaptations enable our people to focus on value-added work, not on repetitive manual tasks that do not bring value,” said Faisal Karamat, vice president customer experience at Qatar Airways Cargo. The carrier is also working to equip its sales team with data analytics that offer tailored services to customers, as well as provide the operations team with flight-load and shipment information prior to flight arrival, enabling them to streamline the shipment movement.

Qatar Airways Cargo’s digital transformation strategy concentrates on replacing repetitive manual processes with digital solutions, refining existing systems, and developing intelligent interfaces to industry software. Qatar Airways Cargo is also exploring ways to reduce the service response time across various customer touch points. For example, how quickly a customer is able to open an account with Qatar Airways Cargo depends on whether they are IATA CASS-registered or non-IATA CASS.

“Our focus is on tapping into available technologies and combining them with various in-house tools,” Faisal Karamat explains. “We are offering a full omni-channel experience where customers can book via various platforms of their choice.”

Posted date

Mon, 12/09/2022 - 12:00

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Qatar Airways Cargo has said Digital transformation is a key point of The Next Generation concept.

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Astral signs deal to boost autonomous aircraft safety in Africa

aPeaford — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 19:55:17 +0000

“We are preparing for explosive growth in regional trade and the need to transport significantly more air cargo across Africa,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder and CEO at Astral Aviation. “Automation will enable us to serve more routes. We look forward to working with Reliable to safely transport larger payloads over longer distances at lower cost with remotely operated aircraft.”

Africa is poised for economic and trade growth, but held back by challenges related to the safety, speed and cost of transportation, including limited intra-African air services. The companies will work together to develop operational, regulatory and business plans to launch automated aircraft operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reliable Robotics is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its automation system on the Cessna 208 Caravan, and to begin commercial cargo operations in the United States. The collaboration with Astral Aviation will enable the subsequent international expansion into Africa where the Caravan is an essential utility aircraft with nearly 350 currently operating across the continent.

“The African aviation sector is primed for change and automated aircraft can be part of the solution to the market’s constraints,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “Astral has deep experience operating in Africa, and we share a vision for how automation and remotely piloted aircraft can help the region reach its economic potential with safer, more flexible and cost-efficient air transport.”

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at 4%. The widespread adoption of mobile technologies has enabled e-commerce to leapfrog legacy banking, communications and retail infrastructure, and is expected to grow to half a billion users by 20252. Expanding the air cargo network is critical to GDP and e-commerce growth in a continent with landlocked countries, busy ports, poor road networks, sparse transportation infrastructure, and an average distance between major cities of 4,100 kilometers.

Posted date

Sat, 10/09/2022 - 12:00

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Kenya-based cargo airline Astral Aviation, has announced a strategic collaboration with US-based autonomous aircraft systems developer Reliable Robotics, with a goal of enhancing aviation safety and increasing air cargo connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa through the use of automated aircraft.

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Emirates A350 fleet to fly with Thales’ AVANT Up

eNethersole — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 08:09:20 +0000

Emirates’ award-winning entertainment system, “ice”, features over 5,000 channels of entertainment. Content will be delivered on Optiq, Thales’ new 4k QLED HDR displays. These are the only aircraft displays using Samsung’s QLED, the best technology for optimal in-seat viewing. Optiq is the first smart display in the industry to offer two Bluetooth connections, built-in Wi-Fi for passengers to pair multiple devices including phones, tablets, headphones and even game controllers, while also supporting up to 70 watts of in-screen charging for passenger devices - 10 watts from the USB-A and 60 watts fast charging from the USB-C.

Emirates is the first airline to select Thales’ award-winning Pulse. With Pulse’s patented power management technology charging performance will be unaffected no matter how many users are charging their devices at the same time.

To enrich passenger engagement, Emirates has chosen several AVANT Up digital services. These services include highly integrated personalization features, expanded personal electronic device (PED) capabilities and user interface enhancements enabling visually impaired passengers to have an immersive experience.

Thales and Emirates continue to build on their successful collaboration to advance the future of travel. Through the partnership in Dubai’s Aviation XLab, an aviation-specific incubator, Thales and Emirates bring the passenger’s “Joy of Journey” to new heights.

Adel al Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer said: “Emirates has always regarded inflight entertainment as an essential aspect of our onboard experience, and we were in fact the first airline to put personal screens onto every single seat onboard when that was far from the norm over 30 years ago. Today, Emirates ice remains unmatched in inflight entertainment content and experience, having won best-in-the-sky awards consecutively for the past 14 years. Our investment in next-generation Thales systems for our new A350 fleet will further our lead and enable us to deliver even better experiences to our customers. Watch this space.”

Yannick Assouad, executive vice-president, Thales Avionics added: “At Thales we are proud to partner with Emirates in their mission to Fly Better. Thales’ AVANT Up brings to Emirates the latest consumer technologies and capabilities to the aircraft. Combining our Optiq 4K QLED HDR displays, award-winning dynamic power, and next generation digital services, Emirates customers can expect the extraordinary.”

Posted date

Thu, 08/09/2022 - 12:00

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Emirates’ order of 50 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled for 2024, will be equipped with Thales’ premier AVANT Up inflight entertainment solution.

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Qatar Airways selects Inmarsat as IFC provider on 787-9 and 737-10 fleet

eNethersole — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 17:23:14 +0000

GX Aviation, Inmarsat’s high-speed global inflight broadband service, has been rolled out successfully on other aircraft within the Qatar Airways fleet and, under the new agreement, it has already been activated on the first seven Boeing 787-9s.

Qatar Airways provides one hour of free access to its ‘Super Wi-Fi’, powered by GX Aviation, with the option to purchase full access for the remainder of each flight. The seamless and reliable broadband will be available across the airline’s aircraft and flight routes, allowing passengers to stay connected to family and friends, browse the internet, stream video and audio, enjoy social media, shop online and more.

The announcement comes as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November, with a huge influx of tourists set to travel by air into Doha’s Hamad International Airport. With a fully connected fleet, Qatar Airways passengers will be able to stay up-to-date with match scores, watch video replays and even livestream games from 30,000 feet, enhancing their onboard experience. Inmarsat is committed to meeting the bandwidth requirements generated by this forthcoming event and, alongside its partner Safran Passenger Innovations, installed and activated GX Aviation on the first Qatar Airways 787-9 aircraft in less than five months from contract award.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group chief executive, said “Over the years, Qatar Airways has pioneered a range of game-changing innovations as part of our exceptional five-star passenger experience. This, in turn, has resulted in the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax naming us ‘Airline of the Year’ an unprecedented six times. The launch of our Super Wi-Fi, powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, is a prime example. We were amongst the first airlines in the world to adopt this technology and remain the largest operator of GX-equipped aircraft in the Middle East and North Africa.

“Making Super Wi-Fi available across our fleet is an important milestone at a time when staying connected with loved ones and friends has never been more important for passengers. As the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaches, Inmarsat is the perfect partner we need to ensure Qatar Airways can offer unrivalled inflight connectivity to each and every passenger, continuing our track record of service excellence.”

Niels Steenstrup, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “It has been more than four years since Qatar Airways became the launch customer for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation in the Middle East and North Africa and, during that time, millions of passengers have enjoyed access to its Super Wi-Fi service. We are delighted to expand our important partnership even further.

“Qatar Airways’ decision to select GX Aviation is testament to its continued satisfaction with our global, consistent, and reliable connectivity, as well as the positive feedback it has received from passengers. It has been a pleasure working with the airline on this rollout.”

Posted date

Wed, 07/09/2022 - 12:00

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Inmarsat has been selected as the inflight connectivity (IFC) provider for Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-9 and 737-10 fleet.

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Ethiopian Airlines signs new distribution agreement with Travelport

eNethersole — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:55:11 +0000

This agreement expands the ongoing travel retailing and distribution relationship between Travelport and Ethiopian, who was ranked the number one airline within the African continent by Business Insider earlier this year.

Both companies are in the process of developing a strategic plan to provide agents access to NDC content and functionality from Ethiopian Airlines in the Travelport+ platform. As part of the agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will also become a new participant in Travelport’s Rich Content & Branding (RC&B) program. As a top 100 carrier booked through Travelport, the carrier is laying the foundation to ensure that Travelport- connected agencies can access the most robust, enriched Ethiopian Airlines’ content following its current fleet expansion.

“As we are now investing in our ability to meet high demand for travel following the pandemic, it is crucial that we deepen our partnership with Travelport as they understand our need to efficiently deliver simplified access to our growing content,” said Lemma Yadecha, chief commercial officer at Ethiopian Airlines. “Travelport’s enhanced multi-sourced content capabilities within the Travelport+ platform will help us to provide agents and their travelers with quick, easy access to highly relevant offers and more choices to fit their needs. Our expanded agreement with Travelport and Rich Content & Branding will further enable us to drive more value for our travelers through today’s modern travel retailing environment.”

David Gomes, head of regional Air Partners, EMEA at Travelport, said: “Our renewed, expanded agreement with Ethiopian Airlines to include NDC content and Travelport RC&B is a significant step in evolving and modernizing Ethiopian’s retailing strategy. Travelport+ was built to manage multiple sources of content and effectively merchandize personalized and dynamic offers, which will greatly benefit the agency community and provide a better experience for Ethiopian’s travellers.”

Posted date

Thu, 01/09/2022 - 12:00

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Ethiopian Airlines and Travelport have entered a new agreement which includes distribution on the Travelport+ platform, including New Distribution Capability (NDC) content from Ethiopian Airlines.

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Jamal Travel Agency implements Amadeus travel technology

eNethersole — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:49:51 +0000

The new agreement sees Jamal Travel Agency adopting Amadeus’ advanced technology solutions to help achieve the company’s strategic objectives for greater efficiency, increased profitability and its drive to enter new markets.

Jamal Travel Agency has built its solid reputation and customer base since its inception in 1988. By working with Amadeus, Jamal Travel Agency plans to offer a wide range of new technology-driven solutions with customer service at the core. Its goal is to make travel experiences more integrated and frictionless.

Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, managing director, Amadeus Gulf, adds: “We are primed to help Jamal Travel Agency grow its position as a leading travel agency by helping the company launch its exciting new B2B and B2C ecommerce platform. Jamal Travel Agency will use a variety of Amadeus solutions ranging from ecommerce (Amadeus web services API), to increasing its non-air content revenues, automating processes by means of robotics and adopting the latest payments technology. Our aim at Amadeus is to help travel agencies navigate through the current challenges and help renew travel by delivering what customers need."

Sainulabdeen Salim, founder and managing director, Jamal Travel Agency said: “Our partnership with Amadeus is focused on increasing productivity, streamlining customer service and giving our commercial teams access to more markets. We will also be able to offer customers greater control in managing their travel bookings and process payments seamlessly and securely through our ecommerce platform. We are confident this new alliance with Amadeus will reinforce our position as a trusted and favourable travel partner amongst the business community and leisure travellers."

Posted date

Wed, 31/08/2022 - 12:00

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Jamal Travel Agency is working with Amadeus to launch its B2B and B2C ecommerce platform.

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Retail travel technology specialist partners with Oman Air

eNethersole — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 08:23:29 +0000

The IATA Pay service provides sales agents in India with a new payment option to purchase tickets, ancillary products and services through the airline’s NDC channel.

Oman Air's senior vice president-Revenue, Retail & Cargo, Umesh Chhiber, said: " Oman Air is extremely delighted to be the first airline to have implemented the IATA Pay payment option on our NDC channel. IATA Pay is a highly secured, real-time bank transfer payment facilitated by IATA. This alternative payment option will allow our industry partners in India to purchase Oman Air tickets and ancillaries in a highly secured manner. We are closely working with IATA to activate IATA Pay in other countries globally in the very near future."

The service leverages Unified Payment Interface (UPI), India's local instant collection system. The solution supports both UPl's QR code scanning and Virtual Payment Address (VP/I) forms of payment. The platform is designed to improve the speed and security of digital payments while reducing payment costs.

According to IATA, the technology provides airline partners with a range of benefits, such as settlements within 24 hours, reconciliation and refund management and access to an administrator portal.

IATA Pay will be live in Germany, UK, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, India, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

"TPConnects is proud to partner with Oman Air to help launch IATA Pay services on the airline’s NDC channel in India," said TPConnects CEO Rakshit Desai. "The rollout of this revolutionary payment platform will provide Oman Air with a distinct advantage in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing commercial aviation markets."

"The successful integration of the technology also demonstrates TPConnects’ capabilities in this highly competitive marketplace," Desai adds.

Posted date

Tue, 30/08/2022 - 12:00

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UAE-based TPConnects will provide Oman Air IATA Pay services in India using the New Distribution Capability (NDC) Platform.

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