Few people have ever heard of SITA, the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques. Founded in 1949 in Geneva, it is nevertheless central to our experience as travelers, but also to the ability of airports and airlines to to be able to exceed 130,000 flights per day worldwide.
SITA manages everything from the systems for checking us into the plane, our luggage, communications between the ground and the planes, but also the transmission of meteorological data, flight management for air traffic control, and even border control with e-Visa and biometric recognition systems.
Since 2001, in France, Orange Business has taken over this gigantic project, as the network provider. With SITA, the two entities have just signed a new five-year partnership, enough to offer more than 2,500 customers in over 200 countries "the stability of a proven global partnership while accessing smarter and more flexible communications solutions," commented David Lavorel, CEO of SITA.
Of course, Orange Business is not SITA's only partner in the world, which also works with BT, AT&T, Tata Communications and other regional providers. But faced with the increase in global traffic and the race for ever greater simplicity and speed, the next five years will also be marked by the development of new tools "allowing us to propel the industry forward, by offering faster connectivity, security stronger and unlocking innovations in AI and sustainable development.
From cybersecurity to Optimizing air routes
Among the major challenges that SITA and its technical partners will have to overcome, there will above all be those surrounding cybersecurity. In the face of cyberattacks, the company will have to strengthen its solutions. The most recent, which directly affected SITA's services, dates back to 2021. Generally, attacks aim to steal personal information about travelers, but with the digitalization of systems, seeking to penetrate more deeply into critical services for airlines and airports could become a new threat.
At the same time, new technologies, particularly AI, will be used to Improve the user experience. This will not only involve optimizing online services for checking in or connecting to the Internet on planes; for the sake of flight time and reducing fuel consumption, air routes could begin to be further optimized and personalized to each aircraft.
"Our renewed partnership with SITA demonstrates our commitment to improving air transport connectivity through a resilient digital infrastructure. Together, we are ensuring that airlines and airports have the necessary foundations to operate continuously around the world and make travel more seamless for everyone,” said Aliette Mousnier-Lompré, CEO of Orange Business. “Looking ahead, we will continue to innovate and transform the airline industry with the most advanced communications solutions, helping to make every journey a connected experience,” she added.
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