DHAKA, Bangladesh – Biman Bangladesh Airlines has inked a 10-year deal with SITA to transform and manage its infrastructure, targeting to double its passengers within the next two years.
Under the multi-million-dollar agreement, SITA will upgrade Biman’s global network and operational messaging and harness the power of the Air Transport Industry (ATI) Cloud to transform its workspace, helping the airline achieve substantial savings, said a release.
SITA is a Switzerland-based multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry.
Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Kevin John Steele said: “Over the next two years, we plan to double both our fleet and our passenger numbers, while also improving customer service and significantly reducing our operational costs.”
SITA will help us upgrade our systems architecture, which will enable us to launch new user-friendly products, as well as innovative tools for our staff, he added.
In addition, SITA will proactively manage our network infrastructure in line with our specific business objectives, so we can focus on our growing business, while remaining up-to-date with the latest technology.
SITA will also provision infrastructure at the airline’s global locations and deploy a new PABX with enhanced functionality at Biman’s offices in Dhaka, which will be integrated into the airline’s call centre, the release mentioned.
Besides, SITA will offer flexible, on-demand IT services and industry software through the ATI Cloud. The ATI Cloud will deliver a comprehensive suite of standard and ATI applications, specifically adapted to the airline’s needs, to any location and any device.
It will also create efficiencies across data, servers and applications, contributing to operational cost savings.
As part of the deal, Biman will introduce SITA’s CrewTablet, which will enable its crew members to use tablets integrated with its business applications to enhance in-flight services to customers.
CrewTablet allows crew members to quickly and easily access passenger and operational data, making them more responsive and improving onboard operations.
Ilya Gutlin, SITA President Asia-Pacific, said: “SITA is focusing on helping the airline meet its overall business objectives through the effective use of technology. We’ll help the airline innovate and continually improve its IT and communications to support its ambitious growth plans, while also driving cost savings and improving service levels to meet both current and future business needs.”
