Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 8, 2008 – Saudi Arabian Airlines and Sabre Airline Solutions signed four separate agreements for advanced technology business solutions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during a gala ceremony today that will help the airline deliver outstanding service to its passengers.
These four agreements, which involve the implementation of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ three-year IT transformation programme as part of its IT Master Plan, are important elements of the airline’s goals, including improving the passengers’ customer experience.
“The implementation of these systems will improve the passenger experience through increasing the reliability, resilience and competitiveness of Saudi Arabian Airlines,” said Khalid Almolhem, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines. “We selected Sabre Airline Solutions to provide these important solutions because of their experience, high quality results and because they demonstrated their willingness to partner with us for success.”
Sabre Airline Solutions, the global leader of software and services for the airline industry from planning through execution, believes its technology will help the airline achieve its goals of being a leading, world-class carrier.
“Saudi Arabian Airlines has purchased our world-leading solutions in order to improve the performance of their airline,” said Steve Clampett, President of Airline Products and Solutions for Sabre Airline Solutions. “The airline will be receiving the exact same solutions we provide to world-leading airlines including British Airways, Air France, American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. When implementation is complete, Saudi Arabian Airlines will have the most advanced versions of these solutions in airline operations. These solutions have proven to provide measurable operational and financial improvements for our airline customers.”
The Sabre solutions selected by Saudi Arabian Airlines cover four specific areas of the airline’s business:
- The network management solutions bundle features Sabre Airline Solutions’ industry-leading Sabre AirFlite Planning and Scheduling Suite, the Sabre AirPrice fare management system, and the Sabre AirMax Revenue Management Suite including group management capabilities and business consulting solutions. These solutions will improve the competitiveness of Saudi Arabian Airlines and its ability to react quickly to changing market conditions.
- The operations solutions bundle features Sabre Airline Solutions’ advanced modelling Sabre Dispatch Manager and flight tracking suite, and the Sabre AirCrews Crew Management Suite, as well as business consulting solutions. These solutions will ensure that Saudi Arabian Airlines’ operation is efficient and will effectively manage even the most challenging operational situations.
- The ground handling solutions bundle features the Sabre Streamline Resource Management Suite of business solutions. These solutions will help Saudi Arabian Airlines proficiently manage airport operations at its key hubs to maintain on-time performance.
- The cargo revenue management solutions bundle features the Sabre CargoMax Revenue and Pricing Suite for managing cargo capacity control, cargo routing and cargo pricing. These solutions will help Saudi Arabian Airlines develop a highly competitive cargo offering.
Sabre Airlines Solutions will work with the airline over the next two years to deliver these critical business tools.
“We are not simply buying technology,” said Almolhem. “We are buying a business solution that will improve our passenger experience through better on-time performance, further competitive fares and schedules, and an efficient and profitable operation.”
The solutions will be used by the airline for its primary operations as well as for its Haj and Umra religious charters and its Royal and VIP operations.
Each of the Sabre Airline Solutions suites selected by Saudi Arabian Airlines includes business consulting from Sabre Airline Solutions’ consulting experts, implementation and on-site training in Jeddah as well as hosting services on Sabre Airline Solutions’ eMergo Web Access platform, an enhanced services-oriented hosting environment for the industry’s most advanced open systems technologies.
About Sabre Airline Solutions
Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world’s largest provider of smart, proven, bankable products to help airlines market, sell, serve and operate from planning to execution. The company provides unmatched breadth and depth of integrated, dynamic business solutions delivered by experts to reduce airlines’ costs, increase revenue and optimize the customer experience.
More than 250 airlines use its broad portfolio of 112 decision-support tools to increase revenues and improve operations. More than 100 airlines rely on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, while a similar number have turned to the company’s consulting group for strategic, commercial and operational advice.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by 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, Sabre AirMax Revenue Manager, Sabre Air Price, Sabre AirFlite, Sabre AirOps, Sabre AirCrews, Sabre Streamline and Sabre CargoMax 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.
About Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the largest airline in the Middle East and North Africa, and the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia. It started out in 1945 with a single twin-engined DC-3(Dakota) HZ-AAX given to King Abdul Aziz as a gift by the then U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was followed months later with the purchase of two more DC-3s, and these formed the nucleus of what in later years was to become one of the world’s largest airlines.
Today Saudi Arabian Airlines has some ninety one (91) aircrafts, including the latest and most advanced wide-bodied jets presently available, flies to more than ninety (90) destinations worldwide, and has carried more than eighteen (18) million passengers in 2007.
The Saudi Arabian Airlines Data Processing Centre was opened in Jeddah in the year 1971. Today, it has evolved to become one of the largest Data Centres in the region. It serves the operation of Saudi Arabian Airlines with business Applications and a domestic and international data and communications network.
Media Contact:
Pam Wong
Sabre Media Relations
Tel +44 (0) 208 538 8653
Pam.wong@sabre.com
