SITA awarded CUPPS certification

A new standard in passenger processing has arrived with the announcement today that SITA is the first platform provider to achieve CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing System) compliance certification and to successfully complete its CUPPS Pilot program. The SITA CUPPS Pilot started in January 2009 at Orlando International Airport with the check-in and boarding of WestJet passengers, followed recently by Continental Airlines passengers. The culmination comes today with the certification demonstrating that SITA's platform is fully compliant with the pre-released version of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) CUPPS Technical Specification. Catherine Mayer, SITA's Vice-President for Airport Services, said, "This is a great day for the air transport community as it brings common use passenger processing to a more efficient level. It is also another milestone in SITA's long history of community leadership in the common use arena."

"SITA first developed CUTE (common user terminal equipment) with the airlines in 1984 and is now the first to receive certification for our platform using the new industry adopted CUPPS Recommended Practice. This certification demonstrates that our systems can run multiple applications according to the CUPPS standards. In fact, SITA's AirportConnect Open is the only fully-integrated common use platform supporting CUPPS, CUTE, and web-based applications, as well as CUSS kiosk applications." SITA's AirportConnect Open is a proven, stable platform that has been in operation since 2004. It provides a low-risk migration path to CUPPS compared with both new platforms that may be introduced by other companies and with existing platforms where CUPPS, CUTE, and CUSS Kiosk capabilities are not integrated as a single system. SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communication and IT solutions.

SITA delivers and manages business solutions for airline, airport, GDS, government and other customers over the world’s most extensive network, which forms the communications backbone of the global air transport industry. SITA's portfolio includes managed global communications, infrastructure and outsourcing services, as well as services for airline commercial management and passenger operations, flight operations, aircraft operations and air-to-ground communications, airport management and operations, baggage operations, transportation security and border management, cargo operations and more. With a customer service team of over 1,600 staff around the world, SITA invests significantly in achieving best-in-class customer service, providing integrated local and global support for both its communications and IT application services.

SITA has two main subsidiaries, OnAir, which is the leading provider of in-flight connectivity, and CHAMP Cargosystems, the world's only IT company dedicated solely to air cargo. SITA also operates two joint ventures providing services to the air transport community, Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management. SITA is one of the world's most international companies. Its global reach is based on local presence, with services for around 550 air transport industry members and 3,200 customers in over 200 countries and territories. In 2009, the company celebrates 60 years in business. Set up in 1949 with 11 member airlines, SITA today employs people of more than 140 nationalities, speaking over 70 different languages. SITA had consolidated revenues of over US$1.47 billion in 2008.