Category Archives: Technology

Backed by SITA’s state-of-the-art technology, Bahrain International Airport’s (BIA) newly opened Passenger Terminal is better prepared to respond to the changing demands of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ultra-modern facility positions BIA as the most advanced boutique airport in the Gulf, increasing its capacity to 14 million passengers per year. A key focus for Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the airport’s operator and managing body, was to optimize the passenger experience and operations to quickly recover from the pandemic through 2021 and beyond. Using SITA’s Operations at Airports portfolio, the airport benefits from real-time insights, improved stakeholder collaboration, and increased agility to optimize operations. The solution includes SITA’s Flight Info Displays Systems (FIDS), providing a dynamic platform for communicating important information and managing the passenger flow. Roger Nakouzi, Vice President Sales, SITA, said, “Thanks to new SITA technology, Bahrain International Airport can leap forward and make operations resilient, agile, and safer for all passengers. The implementation allows for deeper integration of Smart Path throughout the airport and further installation of automated systems, future-proofing the airport for decades to come.” Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer, BAC  said, “In addition to the new Passenger Terminal, the AMP includes several infrastructure development projects that will contribute to the realization of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, laying the foundation for a more sustainable and diversified economy. With SITA’s support, we have enhanced operational efficiency and are in a stronger position to meet the new standards and measures required during COVID-19.”

Akbar Travels Online B2B intelligence system will optimise to curtail work of its users, thus saving time, energy and money. New feature will facilitate more than 6000 agents across Middle East to action reissue/refunds accurately within minutes. The main reason is to ensure that from now on reissue or refunds of LCC tickets will happen in a flash! This will further enable travel partners to provide exceptional services and focus on other revenue making opportunities especially at this point of time. At the same time they are on the brink of rolling out AUTO reissuance of GDS tickets. This will be a game changer for travel partners associated with us, simplifying the reissue ,at their convenience instantly. Agents who had the opportunity to try out the new system are appraising  the new system with gratitude. Akbar Travels is now the largest B2B travel provider in the GCC with local presence in all 6 countries.  

As part of the trial project, SimplyGo is partnering with technology provider SITA. SITA’s advanced technology platforms and experience in border management, airport, and airline operations were crucial in distributing the SimplyGo platform across continents. For the first time, a small group of air travelers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates has tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. Peter Bauer, founder of SimplyGo, said, “The trial demonstrated that SimplyGo technology supports travelers and airlines in adhering to health requirements and secure systems. The app is extremely simple for travelers to use. Just a few clicks and users securely store their COVID-19 test or vaccination information, making it accessible for airlines and border officials. There’s no paperwork or bar code at the check-in needed, all data is managed securely and highly protected from fraud. This trial is the first step in rolling out SimplyGo, to help restore confidence in air travel and to ensure a safer and more efficient air travel for all.” Jeremy Springall, Vice-President SITA AT BORDERS, said, “As the technology provider for the air transport industry we are working closely with governments, industry bodies, and border organizations globally to mitigate health risks of travel during the pandemic. SITA’s Health Protect ecosystem enables interoperability and acts as a bridge between health passport schemes, airlines, airports, and governments. It comprises a suite of solutions, including SITA Health ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), SITA APP, and SITA Flex for in-airport passenger flow monitoring. Selecting the right combination of products and integrating with a health pass system like SimplyGo, ensures governments are aware of who is intending to travel and their health status. …

Staytus announced Hotel Chat, the first chat platform built exclusively for hospitality. The web-based service is designed to connect guests and hotels before, during and after the stay. Publicly accessible by all guests regardless of their personal messaging preferences, Hotel Chat is free of charge for hotels to use. Hotel Chat bridges the gap between guests’ demands for contactless interactions and hotels’ need for a simple, secure means of managing communications and delivering service digitally. From the hotel side, messages are received on a purpose-built platform designed for service. Messages can be viewed by an unlimited number of staff users. Staff can respond to guests in their native language and collaborate internally for a faster response. Hotel Chat also provides a secure, GDPR-compliant environment and no data is stored on staff mobile devices. This avoids potentially compromising guest data when using personal messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger. “Our team loves the capabilities of Hotel Chat, which speed up communication between departments, help reduce workload, and also generate more guest engagement and guest satisfaction,” said Olivier Lenoir, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. “More and more guests prefer to chat with their hotel. This growth trend started even before the pandemic,” said Troy Simoni, CEO, Staytus. “It’s about convenience and service. Excellent service is fast and personal, but doesn’t always need to be face-to-face anymore. People want to chat with real humans, not chatbots, and they want quick answers. These trends helped us design Hotel Chat. It’s made to be the world’s best chat platform for hotels and guests.”

Vision-Box announces a strategic partnership with U.S.-based digital identity innovator, Airside Mobile, best known for the Mobile Passport App. The partnership offers an enhanced safe, secure, and touchless platform for all stakeholders along the travel experience involved in managing verified identity credentials, including trusted health data. With more than nine million satisfied members, Airside’s digital identity network enhances seamless travel. The Airside Digital Identity App provides a convenient single enrollment for travelers to add their credentials (e.g. passports, driving licenses, COVID lab results) to their mobile device using biometric source-verification. Travelers may choose to share their credentials according to their specified time-bound conditions at a multitude of digital and physical authentication points. Enrolled information is only stored on the traveler’s encrypted device, thereby reducing costs and liability for businesses and organizations who may have previously stored sensitive data on siloed databases. Speaking about the partnership, Jeff Lennon, VP – Strategic Sales and Global Partnerships at Vision-Box, said, “We are absolutely delighted to start the new year by announcing our strategic partnership with Airside, a very important ally for the company in expanding personalized experiences on the Orchestra platform. Airside also shares our commitment to enhancing safe passenger travel journeys, and with this partnership we will be able to deliver world class privacy-by-design solutions to our clients across the world, starting with the USA.” Jessica Patel, Chief Revenue Officer at Airside, said, “What I especially appreciate about our partnership with Vision-Box is that the traveler is at the center of the journey, where they ought to be, breezing through online and in-person check points without any long lines or crowding. Our private and secure technologies fit together naturally, providing peace-of-mind for …

Amadeus has signed a wide-ranging technology partnership agreement with OK Travels and Tourism LLC. The partnership with Amadeus will provide OK Travels and Tourism with access to a range of cutting-edge travel solutions including artificial intelligence, all designed to deliver a superior level of service to customers and remove friction from the travel experience. Muhammad Ali, Managing Director of OK Travels and Tourism, said: “We understand the challenges of the modern tourism industry and know that planning, developing, and adapting destination resources to the evolving needs of the market is the key to success. In an increasingly digital world where more consumers are online. Amadeus’ solutions will enable us to build upon this philosophy, taking our customer relationships and value-offering to the next level.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, said: “The UAE is an attractive travel hub, not only for residents from the region but also for global travelers looking to visit or transit through a country with robust health and safety systems in place. In partnership with Amadeus, OK Travels and Tourism will have access to some of the most advanced global technology solutions to enhance its offerings, providing a key point of differentiation based on superior customer experience.” Under the agreement, OK Travels and Tourism will benefit from products including Amadeus Web Services, which allows the creation of customer applications and delivery of a wealth of high-quality tailored content for customers; Business Management Platform, incorporating various solutions such as Robotic Ticketing tools and Sales Data management systems to support pricing, comparing, and ticketing automation through a single platform; Amadeus All Fares Plus, through which agents can find the best air deals for customers in minutes …

ZoodMall, the fastest growing B2C cross-border e-commerce marketplace app, operating in Central Asia and the Middle East, announced a new strategic partnership in Jordan with MENA region’s leading payment gateway, HyperPay, to offer customers a convenient and secure online payment experience at checkout when completing a purchase on the ZoodMall Application. Recent studies confirm that the e-commerce sector in the Middle East and North Africa region is on the verge of distinct levels of continuous growth during the coming period, coinciding with the increasing demand among consumers for electronic payment options, and the awareness of merchants of the need to enhance their electronic presence during the Corona virus pandemic. Trade in e-commerce platforms is expected to reach USD 28.5 billion in 2022, which is over 3.5 times the current trade volume and nearly 7% of total retail sales. “The vibrant e-commerce market has witnessed an unprecedented increase during the pandemic period with the volume of e-commerce in the Middle East and North Africa region currently about $ 8.3 billion. With our vision and determination to continually expand our customer experience, ZoodMall recently partnered with HyperPay. This affiliation will enable our Jordanian customers to make payments online, using Debit and Credit Cards with ultimate flexibility, security and ease and will be the stepping stone to roll out ZoodPay ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) payment options towards Local purchases including three easy instalment plans of up to 60 days without incurring interest charges.” said Mohammad Al Yousef , ZoodMall Jordan’s Country Manager “We look forward to a long-term partnership with ZoodMall Jordan, and help our new partners grow their presence in the Jordanian eCommerce market as well as unlock their full potential …

Lufthansa Group airlines and Sabre Corporation announced a new, mutually flexible distribution agreement that enables modern airline retailing as well as technology innovation. Under the agreement, which covers the carriers Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines, Sabre will continue to distribute Lufthansa Group airlines’ content through traditional connectivity to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and thousands of corporations through its global distribution system (GDS). In addition, the agreement enables the distribution of Lufthansa Group airlines’ content via the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard in the Sabre travel marketplace. “Our agreement with Sabre is a landmark deal for airline distribution. I am very excited to shape our joint path towards modern airline retailing and innovate by introducing a diversified NDC program with associated commercial models, – enabling agencies to agree bilaterally on NDC with Lufthansa Group airlines”, says Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Senior Vice President Revenue Management and Distribution Lufthansa Group Network Airlines and Chief Commercial Officer SWISS. “Sabre and Lufthansa Group airlines share an ambition to innovate at the forefront of our industry. Through this new level of flexibility, we jointly enable a diverse distribution ecosystem, extend the reach of NDC and allow for differentiated commercial models. With this customer-oriented agreement, Sabre and the Lufthansa Group airlines team up to put the interests of our travel agency partners and our joint clients at center stage.” “Today maybe more than ever, we are looking to engage creatively with our airline and agency partners to deliver outcomes that provide added value to all players in the travel ecosystem,” says Dave Shirk, President, Sabre Travel Solutions. “Sabre is committed to finding flexible, sustainable solutions that address traveler expectations, deliver against …

Singapore Airlines (SIA) KrisConnect program, Travelport, a leading technology company serving the global travel industry and SIA have welcomed on board their first passengers whose tickets were booked using NDC technology. Star Cruise Travel Services, one of Travelport’s partner agencies for the implementation of NDC capability, made the NDC bookings through Smartpoint, Travelport’s agency desktop solution. The passengers took international flights, arriving into Singapore Changi Airport in early November 2020. “This is an important milestone for our industry and our partnership with Singapore Airlines as they work to leverage IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC),” said Kyle Moore, Head of Customer Strategy at Travelport. “We are grateful to our partner agencies for working with us as we bring this new technology to our customers.” “Singapore Airlines is pleased to be working closely with Travelport on our KrisConnect program. By leveraging new technology, SIA and our partners can better meet the evolving expectations of our customers. Expectations about how, where and when they can access information, their ability to quickly and efficiently execute desired actions, and the demand for greater personalization, are all influenced by their experience with companies beyond the travel sector. The KrisConnect Program, and the technology upon which it sits, is key to meeting those expectations, and SIA is pleased to be leading the change in Asia. This milestone achievement with Travelport is critical in ensuring the program’s success.” said Bryan Koh, Divisional Vice President E-Commerce and Distribution, Singapore Airlines. “NDC Booking is made easy via Travelport Smartpoint. We are now able to access more content and offers, all in a single workflow, maintaining our efficiency.” Said Lynn Ong, Assistant Vice President, Star Cruise Travel Services. ATPI International Board …

“The implementation of a slew of measures and initiatives at both federal and local levels is further enhancing the openness of the UAE economy, presenting a golden opportunity for the Israeli business community to take advantage of the numerous economic prospects that are being currently generated,” said H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs. The Minister made these opening remarks during his participation in the ‘Sharing innovation – A UAE-Israel’ startup ecosystem event, which was organized by Google. With an aim to create an exclusive inner circle of experts to collectively build an ongoing dialogue and collaboration between the UAE and Israeli tech ecosystems, the event brought together policy makers and technology leaders from both the UAE and Israel, in addition to featuring the participation of Google executives. H.E. Dr. Al Falasi further reviewed the UAE’s success in establishing a robust SME sector in line with the highest standards stands out at both regional and international levels. He noted that the sector contributed 53 per cent to the UAE’s GDP in 2019, up from about 49 per cent in 2018. Through the efforts we have currently undertaken, we strive to increase SME sector’s contribution to 60 per cent by 2021, also underscoring its importance in the country’s economic diversification, H.E. explained. The event witnessed the participation of H.E Faisal Al Hammadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, in the roundtable discussion, where he discussed how the UAE’s economic strategy aligns with the appendix of the Abraham Accords. He added that the UAE’s main focus areas include the retention of high-quality human capital, advancement of key industries enabled by technology such as healthcare, cyber …