SITA to Upgrade Facilities at Abu Dhabi Int. Airport

Abu Dhabi Airports has partnered with global IT provider SITA to introduce its latest technologies across Abu Dhabi International Airport’s (AUH) three terminals.

The technology transformation is part of Abu Dhabi Airports' preparations for AUH reaching a capacity of 45 million passengers by 2017.

The investment in SITA’s latest innovations will bring the airport’s entire IT infrastructure in line with the systems that SITA is already implementing in the new Midfield Terminal Building, currently under construction. These new technologies will help improve the airport’s operational efficiency while providing a seamless passenger experience across all terminals.

Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operations Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Abu Dhabi International Airport continues to experience double-digit passenger growth and therefore we are investing in new airport facilities that will allow us to accommodate the forecast future increase in passengers. In order to achieve this we require a trusted technology partner, such as SITA, to provide one-stop, integrated IT solutions across the airport.”

As part of the five-year contract, SITA will provide a range of advanced and fully integrated airport systems. One of these includes their Airport Management solution which will allow Abu Dhabi Airports to proactively manage the operation of AUH by providing real-time information from across all facilities. This will enable the operations team to plan for events before they happen, while ensuring resources are fully optimized.

Other key products from SITA include AirportConnect Open, which enables airlines to share check-in areas, kiosks and boarding areas while still having access to their own data, and BagManager which allows bags to be tracked in real-time, providing a clear status on any bag no matter where it is in the baggage system.

In addition to these three systems, passengers will also enjoy new automated boarding gates and flight information display systems. 

Hani El-Assaad, SITA President, Middle East, India and Africa, said, “We have long admired Abu Dhabi International Airport’s ability to meet the rapid growth it has experienced over the past few years without compromising the great service offered to passengers. We have worked alongside the team at the airport to provide the technology to manage everything from check-in and airport management systems to self-boarding gates, across the existing terminals. Abu Dhabi Airports has recognized the value we bring as an IT partner who can deliver not only improved operational efficiency, but also an enhanced passenger experience.”

Abu Dhabi International Airport currently serves over 103 destinations in 56 countries and in 2014 accommodated over 20 million passengers.

See also: Future of Air Travel - HD Video Interview with SITA President for Asia Pacific.

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