SITA innovates to enable safer, easier, and more sustainable travel for all
Outstanding Example of Sustainable Development Goals Good Practice
SITA Planet+ Program, 2021
Most Sustainable Company in the Aviation Communication Technology Industry
World Finance Sustainability Awards Program, 2021
Winner APAC Airport Award Accomplishments (Airport Automation Growth Innovation & Leadership Excellence)
Frost & Sullivan, 2020
Solving the challenges of today
Ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability is vital to the industry's recovery and prosperity for customers and society. SITA is focused on delivering safe and easy travel every step of the way so that airports, airlines, and governments can facilitate safe and smooth journeys that passengers want and expect.
Shaping the future of travel
Sustainability and corporate social responsibility can make a positive difference for people, industry, society, and the planet. Through emerging technologies, SITA empowers customers to overcome the challenges of tomorrow and offer more sustainable travel.
Industry collaboration
SITA partners and co-innovates with airline, airport, and border customers, proven innovative companies, early-stage ventures, and universities. The approach includes taking on the risks of technology investigations through Proofs-of-Concept (POCs), trials, and pilot projects - mindful that not all research will always become a SITA portfolio solution.
SITA innovations
AI and machine learning
AI and machine learning use cases include On-Time-Performance to predict and avoid delays and manage disruption; leveraging Computer Vision to optimize aircraft turnaround activity; simulating passenger flows through a terminal to optimize asset allocation and predict and avoid the formation of bottlenecks; and more.
Read more about SITA’s use of artificial intelligence to manage lost items on aircraft
Bag Vision
SITA Lab's Bag Vision research explores how to reduce baggage mishandling by applying Computer Vision technology. In a recent PoC with an airport and airline in the Americas, over 95% tracking accuracy was achieved using a high-performing deep learning prototype based on AI and computer vision. This leads to zero-touch, end-to-end baggage tracking and keeping customer costs low with an initial focus on preventing bag misrouting.
Blockchain for the air transport industry
Blockchain continues to be pioneered by SITA with the initiation of key industry projects under the umbrella of the SITA Global Blockchain Alliance, following on from SITA's Aviation Blockchain Sandbox launched in 2018. Announced in early 2020, the alliance of SITA and key industry partners continues to explore blockchain to securely and digitally track aircraft asset movements in the context of a PoC.
Digital ID
SITA stepped up its commitment to developing a permanent digital identity for air travel as a Premium Donor of the Sovrin Foundation. The Foundation, of which SITA is a Founding Steward, advances blockchain Self-Sovereign Digital Identity (SSI) to give individuals sole ownership and control of their identity. SSI promises a truly secure and seamless journey using a biometric single token travel. SITA is further testing SSI to simplify international arrivals and more. The technology facilitates efficiencies and economic opportunities for all journey stakeholders.
Digital Travel Declaration
To support the recovery of the travel industry, SITA makes its Digital Travel Declaration solution – which allows passengers to share required travel and health documentation with governments ahead of travel – available to governments free of charge globally. This is aimed at addressing the global challenge of submitting and verifying health documentation.
Digital Twin
Digital Twin trials create a virtual replica of the airport to model vast amounts of data to rapidly analyze, predict, and control airport operations. On the back of successful research and trials at airports in the Americas and Asia Pacific, SITA embarked on Digital Twin trials with airports in the Middle East and additional airports in the Americas, focusing on edge computer vision and resource optimization.
Electronic Pilot Licenses
SITA worked together with the ICAO Secretariat and the Civil Aviation Authority of China to develop a prototype based on a digital wallet and blockchain technology to allow Electronic Pilot Licenses to be securely verified offline, solving a key industry challenge. The issuing of digital pilot licenses for international flights is now coming closer.
L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System
SITA is developing a low cost and scalable way to expand today's datalink infrastructure by including L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) technology. This supports ANSPs in providing the next generation of ATC services, such as Trajectory-Based Operations, which will be key to improving efficiency and sustainability.
NEC biometrics
The partnership with NEC combines SITA Smart Path's ground-breaking passenger processing capabilities with NEC's cutting-edge biometric identification technologies, including highly accurate face recognition. SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex integrate NEC's biometric technologies with existing common-use infrastructure and airline applications, delivering a low-touch and more efficient experience for all.
SITA Connect SDN
SITA Connect SDN is a software-defined networking service, offering the next generation IP connectivity solution tailored for the air transport industry to support the evolving demands for agility, cost-effectiveness, application-centricity and cloud accessibility. This is made possible through SD-WAN technology that seamlessly blends all access types (MPLS, Internet & LTE/4G) to provide a reliable solution for the airlines at the airports, town offices and headquarters; and to accelerate cloud adoption.
SITA Smart Path
SITA Smart Path enhancements with biometrics and related innovation investments continuously enhance SITA Smart Path, including SITA Smart Path Mobile. SITA's leading common-use mobile and biometric-enabled self-service solution enables whole journey identity management.
Safety Line
In July 2021, SITA announced the acquisition of Safety Line. Minimized CO2 emissions can be achieved using eWAS Pilot to create more economical flight plans and evaluate fueling decisions. The OptiCruise module helps limit CO2 emissions by optimizing the cruise phase thanks to Artificial Intelligence-based performance models and more.
Read more about SITA's acquisition of Safety Line to support sustainable aviation
Satellite communication service
Iridium Certus enables a dedicated native IP connection to the cockpit with global coverage and increased security via authentication and virtual private networking. The platform also increases the capacity of the overall aircraft communications ecosystem, easing the adoption of future air traffic management practices and applications that help optimize aircraft and airspace operations in general. These applications support the reduction of aviation's environmental impact and help generate efficiencies for aircraft operators.
Touchless travel
Touchless travel is high on SITA's agenda. SITA works hard to deliver contactless passenger processing, including touchless and 'remote' control of kiosks and bag drops via mobile devices, touchless superfast bag tagging, and more.
Trusted health credentials
The secure exchange of trusted health credentials among health authorities, providers, governments, airlines, and airports is a critical goal for the travel industry as it recovers. As part of SITA Lab's Digital Identity research program, work started in 2020 and continues today on digitally verifiable health credentials, tested in Aruba and with a major US international airport.
Read more about SITA’s digitally verifiable health credentials in Aruba
Urban Air Mobility
Urban Air Mobility is a growing mode of short-distance transport, the need for which has been accelerated by increasing road congestion in large cities. Large-scale operations are planned to take off in 2030, but already the first new commercial route is planned for 2024.
SITA's work is focused on the following areas: reliable and secure communication, flight preparation and training, flight tracking and fleet management, health monitoring, and data management.