The arrival of electric air taxis – will exert an immense influence on air travel over the next decade......

Several powerful megatrends – from young, highly connected travellers to the arrival of electric air taxis – will exert an immense influence on air travel over the next decade, forcing industry, governments, and technology to adapt rapidly. This is according to “Meet the Megatrends,” a new report from SITA that examines 12 emerging technological, societal, traveller, and economic trends that will significantly morph the travel landscape by 2033.

These megatrends do not exist in silos but operate in an evolving ecosystem where emerging technologies interconnect the trends and help drive them forward. Data is at the heart of this ecosystem. The increasing willingness of providers to share data across the wider travel industry will help further accelerate these trends and pave the way to the more connected, seamless travel experience that passengers want.

Ilkka Kivelä, VP Strategy and Innovation, SITA, said: “The air transport industry is at a post-pandemic crossroads, facing challenges from all sides. While the travel recovery accelerates globally, airports and airlines are scrambling to provide the seamless travel experience passengers expect, often with slashed workforces and squeezed budgets. The climate crisis demands swifter and more decisive industry action to make travel more sustainable. We now have an opportunity to reimagine the world of travel, connect the dots and transform travel with bold solutions that cross sectors and exploit the latest technologies.”

One of the key trends identified in the report is Gen Z and millennial travellers driving a digital transformation of the transport industry, demanding a more integrated digital journey, and accelerating the digital way of life. Privacy, digital identity rights, and controls for passengers will be a priority for passengers opening the door to a future where we can travel from everywhere to anywhere without the need for physical documents or being stopped for identification. 

Another power trend is the automation and emergence of smart airports, which will reshape the workforce, give rise to a new flattened business organization, and streamline operations through technology. By 2030 metaverse operations will be commonplace at leading airports and play a vital role in optimizing processes, avoiding disruption, and facilitating intuitive, immersive control of intelligent airports. This in turn will require new skills and create new opportunities for employees in the industry.   

Meanwhile, electric air vehicles are expected to be ubiquitous at major international airports by the end of the decade, operating as an effective auxiliary service and revenue stream for airports and airlines. This year alone, investment in the Urban Air Mobility industry has skyrocketed, with $4.7 billion committed to the development of eVTOL vehicles.

Ilkka Kivelä said: “These trends are shaping SITA’s own innovation agenda. We’re excited to be working across many of these areas and look forward to collaborating with partners to drive positive change across the industry.”

The report was spearheaded by the SITA Lab innovation team and draws upon insights from across the transport industry, SITA’s global research, and the latest cutting-edge proof of concepts to identify the most powerful shifts that will drive the travel industry’s evolution by 2033.

Meet the Megatrends (sita.aero)

Reigniting regional travel, Australia’s air transport opportunity

Photo SITA | Reigniting regional travel, Australia's air transport opportunity

According to the latest data, Australia is seeing a strong resurgence in domestic air travel, with 4.7 million passengers flying domestically in July 2022, the strongest month of travel since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The Australian post-pandemic domestic travel boom is primarily driven by leisure travel, with passengers heading for popular destinations like Queensland over the winter months. More passengers travelled between the Gold Coast and Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide in July 2022 compared with pre-COVID-19 (July 2019).

While pent-up domestic travel demand is an encouraging sign for the industry, airports and airlines have struggled to meet this demand, operating with slashed workforces, surged fuel prices, and battling extreme weather events.

In July 2022, the domestic airline industry reported the worst on-time performance on record and cancellation rates over three times the long-term average. Half of all domestic flights arrived late in July, while the airlines cancelled 6.4% of all scheduled domestic flights. In line with global conditions, high jet fuel prices and fewer flights meant that discount economy airfares increased 56% from April to August 2022, reaching their highest point since late 2020.

While flight cancellations and airfares are key concerns, other issues like delays, mishandled baggage, or long queues at security also threaten long-term industry recovery.

Regional airports in particular are seeing a stronger-than-expected resurgence of passengers. To meet this demand, they must now deliver a seamless near-walk-through airport experience while maximizing assets and minimizing costs. Airports and airlines must evolve their existing solutions to achieve agility in times of increased volatility without investing in costly new infrastructure.

It’s not an easy problem to solve. What’s clear from our conversations with regional airports is that as they enter a new post-pandemic operating environment, they want to be prepared for the changes and the return to full passenger capacity, mitigating the risks associated with staff shortages. With more scalable technology, they can now deliver the same experience to their airlines and passengers as major hubs without a complete overhaul of technology infrastructure.

Agile solutions to combat capacity constraints

From our experience in digitizing the industry – before, during, and post-pandemic – we see common issues facing highly cost-conscious regional airports, with a desire to be able to fund the types of smart digital ways of working found in larger airports.

Cloud technology makes the digital journey and cutting-edge IT affordable and accessible for regional airports. With leading passenger processing capabilities accessible via the cloud, airports can enable shared common-use approaches cost-effectively, saving on infrastructure, space, and maintenance. Not only that, but they’re also well-placed to embrace additional capabilities as they choose, such as self-boarding, self-bag drop, off-airport processing, and more.

In Australia, SITA now serves most regional airports with versions of its passenger processing solutions. Recently Newcastle airport adopted SITA’s Flex solution to help manage increasing passenger numbers, while Cairns and Townsville employ common-use terminal equipment (CUTE) and common-use self-service (CUSS) solutions.

SITA Flex brings leading cloud-based passenger processing capabilities, enabling a digital passenger experience based on contactless, self-service journeys from check-in to boarding.

According to SITA’s Passenger IT Insights, released in June 2022, more passengers are using mobile devices for booking, on board the aeroplane, and bag collection. Automated gates saw increased adoption for identity control, boarding, and border control, while 87% of passengers have positive emotions about identity control and 84% about bag collection. Underscoring this insight, IATA’s recently revealed 2022 Global Passenger Survey results showed increased interest in off-airport processing services, additional options for baggage handling, and biometric solutions.

This type of technology deployment means airlines can enable passengers to use their mobiles to have a near walk-through, touchless airport experience. In contrast, airport workforces can use mobile devices to coordinate and perform tasks efficiently.

A changing regional aviation landscape

As Australia enters its vital summer travel period, we expect travel volumes to remain robust.

But even as passengers are drawn back to travel during the journey — particularly from regional airports — they will demand the same digital experience and efficiencies they receive at international hubs. On top of that comes greater airline expectations, route volatility, space constraints, and staff multi-tasking, which can impact the passenger experience. Then, as journeys become more digital, there’s a growing need for seamless interoperation across travel systems and technologies – not just among large and small airports but also with other modes of transport.

While Australia has fared better than other parts of the world, like Europe and the US, when it comes to mishandled baggage, the return to full capacity could present new challenges over the summer period. Technology will be critical to support airlines with baggage management solutions that reduce the number of mishandled bags and their associated costs.

In the face of these profound changes, regional airports must adjust their strategies to address the post-pandemic environment. Like bigger airports, regional airports will need to consider a digital shift to cope with future capacity constraints and ensure agility and resilience of operations.

Middle East Airlines adopts SITA’s cloud-based baggage reconciliation system to boost efficiency at Rafic Hariri International Airport - Beirut

Agile cloud systems that increase operational efficiency and reliability have helped expand the airport’s
capacity to handle nine million bags per year. Photo SITA

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 - Beirut to the cloud, increasing operational efficiency. This 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.

Leading aviation IT provider SITA embarking on growth programme

SITA, the leading IT provider to the air transport industry, today announced the launch of a partnership programme aimed at joining hands with key partners as it embarks on a new path to growth.

Through the new partner platform, Launchpad, SITA has outlined four key areas where it seeks to build new partnerships: digital identities, advanced analytics and data management, security and safety at airports, and sustainable alternative energy sources. Each of these areas is in response to the changing demands of air travel today and where SITA has already made notable strides in innovation and development.

Over the past two years, airlines and airports have faced significant challenges and changing passenger behaviours, requiring the industry to adapt how it operates. Surging fuel prices and volatility have increased sharply while passengers demand the same digital experience when travelling that dominates every aspect of their everyday life.

SITA technology helps two Brazilian airports cope with the surge in travel

São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU Airport) and RIOgaleão – Tom Jobim International Airport (RIOgaleão) are the first airports in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to deploy SITA Flex to provide mobile passenger services to speed up check-in, bag drop, and boarding. It forms part of a wider five-year contract awarded to global air transport IT provider, SITA, to renew the common-use services at the two airports.

Travel is rebounding fast in Brazil following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to IATA, domestic passenger volumes were up 133.3% year on year in April 2022. Brazil’s domestic passenger market is now the fourth largest in the world. It spells good news for the country’s economy hit hard by the pandemic. However, airlines and airports operating in Brazil will need to act quickly and in an agile way to cope with the travel surge and reduce airport bottlenecks.   

GRU Airport and RIOgaleão are the two key airport operators in the region; respectively, they handled around 43 million passengers and 13.5 million passengers a year pre-pandemic, utilizing SITA’s passenger processing technology. Carriers operating at GRU Airport and RIOgaleão can now leverage SITA Flex – an innovative next-generation common-use technology – to help speed up passenger processing as passenger volumes rebound.

SITA Flex better equips airports and airlines to meet the current challenges of capacity, resource constraints, and disruptions, as the cloud-based platform takes them beyond the limitations of traditional common-use infrastructure. Instead of fixed check-in counters or kiosks, for example, airlines and airports can deploy more mobile passenger services, such as roving agents on tablets or the ability for passengers to use their mobile phones to manage their travel fully. The application programming interface (API) architecture of SITA Flex allows the adoption of existing and future passenger processing innovations, helping to future-proof airport operations.

SITA launches new Flex-as-a-Service - next-generation "beyond common-use" platform allowing airlines to provide a completely mobile experience to passengers

 

Airlines can deploy agents anywhere inside and outside the airport while developing new self-service options within 24 hours

SITA announced this week the launch of SITA Flex-as-a-Service, a next-generation "beyond common-use" platform that allows airlines to provide a completely mobile experience to passengers while enabling the flexibility to rapidly respond to passenger's changing needs.

With passenger numbers ramping up sharply in many parts of the world, airlines and airports have been hard-pressed to respond quickly. SITA Flex APIs will enable airlines to create new and bespoke passenger processing features and streamline their app development process, allowing them to scale far faster than in the past. Airlines no longer need to undergo lengthy and costly certification through their common-use providers to ensure smooth integration, giving them the freedom to deploy their applications how and when they like.

The speed of deployment was demonstrated in a recent hackathon hosted by SITA and Microsoft where developers were able to build a working application within 24 hours. This means airlines can implement new services such as self-service bag tagging within days.

Cebu Pacific selects SITA to enhance cockpit communications and optimize flight operations

The airline’s new-generation fleet will be factory-fitted with innovative communications technology.

Cebu Pacific Air has selected SITA to support its digital transformation agenda leveraging SITA’s renowned AIRCOM Cockpit Services integrated with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) satellite network service. The combined solutions will enhance cockpit communications while delivering greater operational efficiencies on the airline’s new Airbus A330neos.

SITA’s 2021 Air Transport IT Insights reveal that digitalization is a top priority for the air transport industry’s recovery from COVID-19. The leading low-cost carrier in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific is one of many airlines embarking on a digital transformation agenda, including modernizing its fleet with features that allow for real-time updates to support better decision-making around weather and flight planning.

Through its AIRCOM Cockpit Services portfolio, SITA has integrated Inmarsat’s cutting-edge SB-S satellite network service, making Cebu Pacific the first airline to leverage the benefits of both services on its new fleet. It is also the first time SB-S has been delivered factory-fitted on an Airbus aircraft bringing more sophisticated, secure, and reliable voice and data communications to the flight deck. IP connectivity, quicker data transmission with faster broadband speeds and coverage, will deliver several operational benefits for the airline.

SITA Launches Free Digital Travel Declaration Solution, Supporting Governments in Safely Opening Their Borders

SITA announced that to support the recovery of the travel industry, it will make its Digital Travel Declaration solution – which allows passengers to share required travel and health documentation with governments ahead of travel – available to governments free of charge globally. This is aimed at addressing the global challenge of submitting and verifying health documentation which remains a major impediment to the recovery of the global travel industry. 

SITA will be making part of this solution available free of charge to government agencies to address the mounting challenge around health documentation

Recent research from IATA highlighted that of 50 countries surveyed, 38 countries had some form of COVID-19 restriction on who could enter. For many countries, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic relies heavily on travel and tourism. According to WTTC's 2020 Economic Impact Report, in 2019 travel and tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs, making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs. However, inefficiencies and a lack of common standards around managing health documentation remain the single biggest obstacle to rebuilding the travel and tourism industry and supporting economic growth.

David Lavorel, CEO of SITA AT AIRPORTS AND BORDERS, said: "In many cases, today's onerous health requirements are discouraging travelers from flying or leading to long lines at airports. As an industry-owned organization working at the crossroads of airlines, airports, and governments, we are able to connect the dots and streamline processes around health documentation. Making Digital Travel Declaration freely available to governments will be an investment in the recovery of our industry, and we hope will go some way towards addressing the challenges we all face today."   

SITA helps Flyr take off with solutions for connectivity and efficiency

The new low-cost airline has selected solutions from SITA’s aircraft and airport portfolios to boost operational efficiencies and optimize air-to-ground communications.

As Flyr AS, a new low-cost airline based in Norway, takes to the skies, it has turned to SITA to deliver a wide range of solutions that help boost operational efficiencies, reduce carbon emissions, and streamline border processes for a smoother passenger experience. Based at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Flyr operates flights within Norway and between Norway and European leisure destinations, having completed its first commercial flight on 30 June.

In the air, Flyr has implemented SITA’s eWAS Pilot and eWAS Dispatch to provide pilots and dispatchers real-time access to accurate multi-source weather reports. eWAS Pilot, an application used by 67,000 pilots worldwide, provides accurate 4D weather forecasts and real-time updates from various sources to warn about weather hazards such as thunderstorms, lightning, clear air turbulence, strong winds, icing, and even volcanic ash. Cloud-based eWAS Dispatch incorporates this data into a next-generation flight tracking system which reduces dispatchers’ workload by streamlining flight monitoring.

Together, the solutions help Flyr optimize decision-making and efficiency for flight route planning to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions, all while ensuring a more comfortable service for passengers.

To connect air and ground operations, Flyr has adopted SITA’s AIRCOM® Cockpit Services and AIRCOM® FlightMessenger. AIRCOM® FlightMessenger, the air transport industry’s leading solution for the management and integration of operational communications, supports operational efficiencies for Flyr through improved air-to-ground communication.

On the ground, the addition of SITA Messaging connects Flyr to their partners and over 2,400 air transport industry actors via fully-managed message distribution services, while SITA’s Community Connect DCS service is providing Flyr network connectivity across approximately 10 airports.