Dedicated Airline Operations Control Expert to Manage Shanghai Center
SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 22, 2004–Sabre Airline Solutions has signed a two-year contract with China Eastern Airlines to implement Phase II of an extensive consulting project with Sabre Airline Solutions valued at $1 million. China Eastern will implement the recommendations made during Phase I of the detailed analysis conducted in 2003 into the improved design of the carrier’s Operations Control procedures.
The Operations Control Center is the heart of an airline, where all aircraft activities are monitored, including flight paths planned and adjusted. Sitting within China Eastern’s Operations Control Center are all movement control, flight dispatch, load planning, crew co-ordination and scheduling functions. A major objective of Phase II of the consulting project is to help China Eastern consolidate Operations Control of 12 China Eastern branches and subsidiaries in a centralized location in Shanghai. To help facilitate this process, Sabre Airline Solutions is deploying an airline operations control process expert for two years.
“We are confident we will see excellent results by implementing the recommendations made by our valued Sabre Airline Solutions partners,” said Yu-Lin Wu, vice president, China Eastern Airlines. “We expect that the new efficiencies we will achieve through the Operations Control consolidation will heighten our performance in this highly competitive marketplace.”
China Eastern has been a valued customer of Sabre Airline Solutions for six years, and has already implemented a wide range of Sabre Airline Solutions’ tools right across its business. These tools include Sabre AirOps Movement Manager, Sabre AirOps Dispatch Manager, Sabre AirOps Load Manager and Sabre AirFlite Schedule Manager. To further compound the successful cost management delivered by this suite of products, China Eastern chose to work with Sabre Airline Solutions consultants to analyze its Operation Control processes and provide recommendations based on an industry best practice approach.
The consolidated Airline Operations Control Center in Shanghai is the direct result of these recommendations. Operations Control experts from Sabre Airline Solutions will be on-site and work closely with specialists at the Center for the first two years.
“During the consulting process, the team at Sabre Airline Solutions worked in close partnership with China Eastern to develop a uniquely intimate knowledge and understanding of the carrier’s business,” said Cameron Curtis, vice president, Asia Pacific, Sabre Airline Solutions. “As a result, China Eastern was able to confidently act on the recommendations made by the consulting team at Sabre Airline Solutions knowing they had the company’s full support and commitment.”
James Sun, Sabre Airline Solutions consulting partner in China, said the group forges ongoing working relationships with many airlines who return for Sabre Airline Solutions’ consulting expertise once the initial project has been completed. This, he believes, is in part due to the consulting team’s ability to manage an airline’s short-term challenges while also preparing for the longer term.
“The consultants at Sabre Airline Solutions have comprehensive industry knowledge and access to sophisticated tools that enable us to provide in-depth, and achievable, strategies and solutions,” said Sun. “Often we see the impact of our recommendations during the course of the project with clear improvements in financial performance of our clients. In this instance, we expect China Eastern to see complete ROI (return on investment) in the next few years.”
Sabre Airline Solutions is the Asia Pacific market leader in aviation consulting and technology and has experienced rapid growth in the region. Current Sabre Airline Solutions consulting customers in the Asia Pacific region include Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Air China, Asiana Air and Dragon Air for work involving areas such as operations control, revenue management, IT strategy, CRM and crew productivity.
About Sabre Airline Solutions
Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world’s largest provider of software products, reservations and departure control systems and other passenger management systems, and consulting services that help airlines simplify operations and lower costs. Sabre Airline Solutions’ proven leadership is demonstrated by the growing number of airlines that leverage the technology and services: More than 200 airlines worldwide use Sabre Airline Solutions’ broad portfolio of smart solutions for decision-support tools to increase revenues and improve operations. More than 100 airlines worldwide rely on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, with 15 new carriers added and nine carrier renewals for SabreSonic Res advanced reservations in 2003. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial and operational consulting. More than 500 contracts worldwide were signed in 2003 within Sabre Airline Solutions.
Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo and Sabre AirOps Movement Manager, Sabre AirOps Dispatch Manager, Sabre AirOps Load Manager and Sabre AirFlite Schedule Manager are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions
