Travel industry consortium wins major European contract
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS – Aug. 2, 2011 – A consortium including Sabre Airline Solutions has won a major contract to research the future of air traffic management in Europe.
The Fly4D consortium, coordinated by aircraft manufacturer Airbus, was contracted by Eurocontrol on behalf of SESAR – a joint undertaking by the European Commission and Eurocontrol – to research the future of air traffic management in Europe.
The initiative – one of the most ambitious research and development projects ever launched by the European Union – aims to integrate all air traffic management and airport systems across the European continent into one, in order to make airport and airline operations more efficient and sustainable.
At present air space is managed by air traffic control centers in each country across Europe, giving rise to differing technology, systems, processes and procedures for managing air traffic across national boundaries. This infrastructure is aging and has reached its limits, making European air traffic management fragmented and inefficient.
An independent study of the SESAR project by international management consultants McKinsey finds numerous benefits, with the European Union economy seeing a €419 billion increase in GDP between 2013 and 2030, and the creation of 328,000 new jobs in the air transport sector.
The SESAR project is split into a number of different work packages, addressing various elements of air traffic management, such as airport and terminal operations, infrastructure, en-route traffic and many more.
Analysts predict a single European sky will mean 50 percent fewer flight cancellations and delays, in addition to a reduction of 50 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Hugh Jones, President of Sabre Airline Solutions, said: “The importance of the SESAR program cannot be underestimated, both in terms of the European Union’s future economic prosperity and the sustainability of the air transport industry.”
“We understand the responsibility this project entails, and we are confident that our knowledge, experience and expertise will be crucial to the success of the project.”
Patrick Ky, Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, said: “We are the first in the world to start to integrate ATM future concepts with airlines operations. This is truly a breakthrough in our sector of activity.”
About Sabre Holdings
Sabre Holdings is a global technology company serving the world’s largest industry – travel and tourism. It provides software to travel agencies, corporations, travelers, airlines, hotels, car, rail, cruise and tour operator companies, through its four businesses ” Sabre Airline Solutions, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Sabre Travel Network (including GetThere) and Travelocity (including lastminute.com and Zuji) . Sabre’s innovative technology is used by more than a billion people around the world to plan, book and experience their travel at a time and price that’s right for them. It works behind the scenes to make the world a better place, one journey at a time.
Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Sabre has approximately 10,000 employees in 60 countries around the world. It has major development and customer care centers in the United States, Argentina, India, Philippines, Poland and Uruguay. Sabre has won numerous awards for being a top employer and corporate citizen in Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, Poland, and the United States. Sabre is privately owned by Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Silver Lake Partners. For more information, please visit: www.sabre.com
Media Contact:
Martin Ferguson
Sabre Holdings
Office: +44 20 8538 8576
Mobile: +44 7740 409 440
Email: martin.ferguson@sabre-holdings.com
