Oman Air Company is to invest $4.2 million over four years in major IT improvements at Muscat International Airport, following 22% growth in passengers travelling on the national airline last year.
In this regard, Habib Bhacker Habib, Head of Information Computing in Oman Air said that the investment programme agreed with SITA, the world's leading service provider of IT business solutions and communication services to the air transport industry, with over 55 years experience will cover all essential airport operations including check-in, flight boarding and baggage management, and will benefit all airlines using the gateway. The move also follows the creation of a new corporate identity for the national airline as it transforms itself into a world-class competitor. Last year Oman Air carried over 1,500,000 passengers to and from Muscat, informing that the four-year program will be fully operational in three months when it will meet all passenger check-in and boarding needs while ensuring complete passenger-bag reconciliation at all times for all airlines using the airport.
Head of Information Computing in Oman Air added saying that the Omani Aviation sector has undergone significant changes over the last few years at both the airport and airline level. SITA meets our needs today, but it also has the industry expertise to provide us with cutting-edge IT solutions that will enable us to continue to deliver to high standards going into the future and to maximise use of shared infrastructure. For example through the SITA Airport Hub initiative which allows all airlines based here to reduce costs through the shared-use of communications systems. AirportConnect he said supports today’s applications better and for longer, since it reduces platform operating costs by integrating legacy and new more affordable hardware and software hence avoiding future expenditure previously needed to meet rapidly evolving technologies. SITA will both install and maintain AirportConnect Open, its latest generation IATA compliant common use passenger processing system that supports CUTE, dedicated, and web applications on the same common use workstations; SITA BagManager for baggage reconciliation; and PassengerHandler, a common software language facility designed for airline and handling agent staff to process passengers at the check-in counter more efficiently, he concluded.
Corporate Communications and Media of Oman Air said, being the sole service provider in Muscat International Airport, Oman aAir continuously monitor operations and seeks to upgrade facilities to ensure that the airport is equipped with the most up-to-date means of technology, to reduced operating costs, ensure greater flexibility and control, in addition to meeting the expectation of our customers using Muscat International Airport. SITA Solutions they explained support airport authorities, airlines, handling agents, freight companies as well as their airport tenants. It provides all the advantages of a shared environment with the flexibility and control of a dedicated platform. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the airport community,
AirportConnect is a comprehensive solution managed by SITA, consisting of network, hardware, software, and support services. This next generation solution succeeds in enhancing operational efficiency, resulting in airport staff benefiting from access to applications anywhere in the airport, including front and back office, and in turn passengers enjoying a simpler travel experience, with different check-in options and shorter check-in times. They added that these solutions are designed to help optimize resources by reducing flight delays, increasing passenger satisfaction and lowering baggage-handling costs. SITA’s AirportConnect Open platform will operate on 30 workstations. The common use check-in platform will enable every desk to be connected to each airline’s departure control system, helping to maximize the use of the airport’s resources. The department finally confirmed the commitment of Oman Air towards strengthening the services at Muscat airport, as this project reflects the commitment of Oman air to ensure comfortable and safer environment for travelers. The introduction of AirportConnect to the aviation industry in the Sultanate comes at a critical time, since the industry in the region is witnessing significant developments and major expansion programmes, demanding greater focus on levels of service, security, and communication infrastructure.
