SITA and accelya partner to redefine the future of airline retailing and passenger journeys

Partnership will integrate modern airline retailing systems with airport touchpoints and reduce costs using SITA's advanced Flex APIs

GENEVA – 04 November 2024 – SITA, the global leader in air transport technology, is partnering with Accelya to deliver new digital retailing solutions for passengers, removing the reliance on dated, legacy systems.

This strategic partnership with Accelya, a leading global software provider to the airline industry, will allow airlines to migrate to modern airline retailing for passengers, including a contactless airport solution based on biometric recognition, which will also drive operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Through this partnership, Accelya's FLX ONE Delivery—part of their new FLX ONE platform, a comprehensive Offer, Order, Settle Deliver (OOSD) solution—will be integrated with SITA's advanced Flex APIs. This will enable airlines to streamline their airport operations, reduce dependency on traditional Departure Control Systems (DCS), and create a more personalized, seamless passenger experience all while reducing costs.

In a major development that supports the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Offer, Order, Settle Deliver (OOSD) initiative to advance customer centricity with a seamless digital experience, the partnership will focus on integrating Accelya's commercial systems with SITA's passenger touchpoints for airport and off-airport passenger processing.

"The rise of digital expectations among passengers, coupled with demand for more personalized travel experiences, shows the need for modern, agile and integrated systems," said Nathalie Altwegg, Senior Vice President of Airports at SITA. "This partnership with Accelya marks a significant milestone in our commitment to drive the digital transformation of retailing within the aviation industry. By integrating technologies, we can use our deep industry expertise to drive a more efficient and passenger-centric future. We are empowering airlines to deliver a more personalized and seamless travel experience to passengers, setting new standards in how they serve customers and manage their operations."

Legacy systems such as Passenger Service Systems (PSS) and DCS have long been the backbone of airline operations but are increasingly seen as barriers to innovation due to their complexity and lack of flexibility, as the industry seeks to drive operational efficiencies, enhance passenger personalization and improve security protocols.

Sam Gilliland, Chief Executive Officer of Accelya, added: "Accelya is delighted to partner with SITA for our FLX ONE Delivery solution and integrate with their best-in-class airport experience and delivery capabilities. Airlines now have the flexibility, when partnering with Accelya, to seamlessly extend their offer, order, and settle retailing capabilities to the airport through FLX Delivery, which leverages SITA's technologies and leading airport capabilities. This partnership demonstrates the open nature of the Accelya platform and enables us to bring our comprehensive, yet modular, FLX ONE OOSD solution to airlines, empowering them to control their own journey to modern retailing."