SITA, the Geneva, Switzerland-based global information technology company, which has its North American headquarters in Atlanta, has announced that its consolidated revenues for 2008 were $1.47 billion, up 3.5 percent from the year before.
Francesco Violante, SITA’s chief executive officer, said in a statement that for the third year in a row the company has won more than $1 billion worth of new business.
“This is because information technology and communications are now such an essential part of the daily operational life of the air transport industry and play a crucial role in managing costs and increasing productivity,” he said.
Mr. Violante cited e-ticketing as an example. In 2008, the e-ticketing services that SITA supports for 75 airlines issued 82 million e-tickets compared to 10.6 million in 2006.
He also cited a drop in lost baggage claims, which went from 14.2 million in 2007 to 11.9 million last year.
“Again, this is an enormous saving to the industry, which is due not just to fewer items of checked baggage but also major improvements in baggage tracking and sorting enabled by both the International Air Transport Association and SITA technology,” he said.
According to the statement, SITA has no debt despite an investment of $79 million last year to acquire Swiss cargo software provider Softair AG, and the Australian border security company, CPS Systems.
SITA has two main subsidiaries: OnAir, which provides in-flight communications technology, and CHAMP Cargosystems, an information technology company that is dedicated to providing services to the air cargo industry.
For more information, go to www.sita.aero