Monday, June 3, 2024
SITA, a leading global provider of IT solutions for aviation, has teamed up with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to develop innovative offsite passenger processing solutions. These solutions aim to revolutionize the way airline passengers check themselves and their luggage in from almost any location, even before reaching the airport.
Through the partnership, SITA is providing SUTD with access to its SITA Flex solution. This technology enables SUTD researchers to transform their current off-airport designs, spanning physical, digital, and experiential aspects, into functional prototypes. Once fully developed, these prototypes will allow passengers to perform typical airport procedures like passport scanning, luggage weighing, and printing of luggage tags and boarding passes from offsite locations.
Imagine tourists experiencing a streamlined processing experience right at their hotel room, with their luggage sent ahead to the airport. This eliminates the need to leave luggage with hotel staff, particularly useful when flights depart hours after hotel check-out. Travelers can then continue their activities and head directly to the airport just an hour before their flight, without the hassle of carrying luggage.
The SUTD-SITA off-airport processing project commenced in March and is scheduled to run for a year. As the hardware and service design aspects are refined, the off-airport concept will undergo testing for seamless integration and optimal performance with various SITA partners, including airlines, airports, and ground handlers.
Singapore-based Sumesh Patel, SITA’s President for the Asia Pacific region, is upbeat about the tie-up. “This exciting partnership underscores our proactive stance when it comes to developing pioneering innovative solutions to take the air transport industry into the future. By exploring new off-airport solutions, we remain at the forefront of technology while actively meeting emerging market demands,” says Patel.
“SUTD’s designs break away from a traditional approach to off-airport touchpoints, and powering it will facilitate innovation and our ability to continually transform the passenger experience. It will also demonstrate the existing versatility of our solutions, which can be deployed both in- and off-airport and on non-SITA platforms,” explains Patel. “We will also advise on the most efficient way to reach and connect to the departure control systems of airlines, to bake in seamlessness from the start.”
The aviation industry’s dynamic nature, characterized by numerous components working together seamlessly to accommodate the projected 7.8 billion passenger journeys by 2040, provides an excellent platform for leveraging SUTD’s expertise.
SUTD President, Professor Chong Tow Chong, said: “We are designing the first fully integrated offsite solution to be powered by the SITA Flex solution. It will have the ability to scan passports, weigh luggage as well as print tags and boarding passes just like any in-airport check-in system but with a completely redesigned physical and digital experience – anywhere, anytime. This will reshape and elevate global air travel with greater convenience and efficiency. We look forward to validating our designs in trials with airport and airline operators, cruise centres as well as hoteliers in the months to come.”
SUTD’s expertise covers diverse fields such as aviation, architecture, and engineering. They have been at the forefront of pioneering advancements in design, education, and research, creating cutting-edge technologies crucial for seamlessly incorporating digital innovations into our everyday experiences.
Tags: Airline News, aviation technology, Digital Travel Solutions, SITA airline news, SUTD, Travel news
Monday, June 3, 2024
Monday, June 3, 2024
Monday, June 3, 2024
Monday, June 3, 2024
