By Staff Correspondent
Indian airlines are in the advanced stages of negotiations with aviation tech service provider SITA, aiming to curb carbon emissions and boost fuel efficiency. This information comes from Sumesh Patel, President of Asia-Pacific for SITA, who recently highlighted the firm’s achievements in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and data in their previous venture with Singapore Airlines. Their pilot project involving 20 aircraft led to substantial savings in carbon dioxide emissions and cost.
Alongside this, Patel praised India’s forward-thinking approach to embracing technology to evolve its aviation sector. He commended initiatives like Digi Yatra for pioneering the country’s stride towards becoming a global leader in aviation technology. However also flagged concerns about the potential operational issues arising from the sector’s rapid growth, citing congestion and flight disruptions as significant risks. To this end, he emphasised the need for operational efficiency, agility, and an enhanced passenger experience.
The remarks were made in New Delhi during a roundtable coinciding with SITA’s airport management system selection by the upcoming Noida International Airport (NIA). With an investment of around $12 billion earmarked for new air transport infrastructure, the focus remains on the passenger experience. SITA has been instrumental in this drive, contributing to the Digi Yatra project with its technical expertise. Collaborating with the United States-based NEC Corp. and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), SITA recently launched the country’s first biometric boarding experience at Varanasi airport.
In addition, the Bangalore International Airport has partnered with SITA to establish a comprehensive Smart Path biometric solution. Aimed at enhancing passenger convenience, the system will be integrated across over 280 touchpoints at Terminal-2 of India’s third busiest airport.
Patel pointed out another significant shift — Indian airports transitioning towards SITA’s agile cloud-based passenger processing systems. This move helps airports avoid investing in on-premise infrastructure and adopt asset-light cloud processing, enabling shared workstations at check-in and boarding gate counters. According to Patel, this approach is a win-win — it saves on infrastructure costs and contributes to the sustainability goals of airports. Moreover, it offers flexibility to adjust services in response to varying passenger volumes.
SITA recently announced a landmark agreement with the AAI to provide technological solutions to 43 Indian airports. Patel also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the ‘Make in India’ programme and contributing to local employment through direct hires and partnerships. He added that SITA is keen to develop solutions that cater to India’s needs and serve the global market, leveraging India’s technological prowess
