Partnering In India's Air Transport Growth

Maneesh Jaikrishna is vice president of SITA for India and the Subcontinent. In this role, he has the overall P&L responsibility of the Indian Subcontinent, including areas of sales, operations, delivery, customer satisfaction and account management.

Based in New Delhi, he heads a team of professionals catering to the airport, airline and government sectors while driving SITA's focused strategy in the tremendously growing Indian marketplace. In an interview, Jaikrishna talks about the company's market presence and growth strategies.

What are the services that you provide and how are they different from your competitors?
SITA is the communications and IT solution provider that transforms air travel through technology for airlines, at airports and on aircraft. The company's portfolio covers everything from managed global communications and infrastructure services, to eAircraft, passenger management, baggage, self-service, airport and border management solutions.

Nearly every airline and airport in the world does business with SITA and its border management solutions are used by more than 30 governments. With a presence at more than 1,000 airports around the world and a customer service team of 2,000+ staff, SITA delivers unmatched service to more than 2,800 customers in more than 200 countries.

What sets us apart is that we touch every aspect of the air transport industry. Our global experience has provided us with a global understanding of the air transport technology backed up with local expertise.

We are also owned 100% by more than 400 members from across the air transport industry, giving SITA a unique understanding of the industry's needs and shape the investment in new technology and solutions.

What are the strategies that your organization follows to fulfil customised client cases?
SITA's strategic vision is to be the global air transport industry's premier IT and solutions provider, enabling the industry to harvest the full potential of collaboration. As the trusted technology and business partner to the air transport industry we constantly strive to deliver advanced value-added solutions to customers that will help them drive consistent profitable growth.

You have worked with JetBlue in the past as well. Kindly enlighten us about the new deal that you have signed with the brand?
JetBlue has selected SITA to support 531 check-in and automated passport control (APC) self-service kiosks across 56 locations in the USA and Caribbean.

This three-year agreement will see SITA provide 24/7 remote and on-site service of JetBlue's devices ensuring maximum up-time and the highest levels of passenger service across current and new destinations.

Service quality is key in the airline industry and SITA's contract with JetBlue includes tight service level agreements (SLAs) for the end-to-end support of the kiosks. SITA matched JetBlue cost reduction objectives by seamlessly combining its advanced remote management capabilities with field engineers available at airport locations.

JetBlue is renowned for the high quality of service it provides to its 35 million customers and with the move to passengers using more self-service technology, it is important that this service excellence is guaranteed at every touchpoint. We at SITA recognize this and are providing proactive management of JetBlue's kiosks so the airline's passengers have them available for use at all times.

SITA has a Strategic Technology Research Arm assigned for innovating. Can you please share some Innovations that you are planning or have already worked on in the past?
The SITA Lab is our engine for innovation. Through the SITA Lab we invest in technology and solutions to address evolving air transport industry requirements, emerging trends and future initiatives. The Lab works in collaboration with airlines, airports, and technology specialists globally.

The SITA Lab has implemented some game-changing technologies over the past few years, including the use of wearables such as Google Glass, where we partnered with Virgin Atlantic to use wearable technology to serve passengers.

This year the SITA Lab, together with Geneva Airport, trialed Leo, a fully autonomous, self-propelling baggage robot has the capacity to check in, print bag tags and transport up to two suitcases with a maximum weight of 32kg. Watch him in action here.

The Lab is also focused on addressing some of the industry's biggest challenges and is exploring solutions for the benefit of its members and the wider air transport industry:

These include:

Baggage tracking
An area that the SITA Lab is making significant strides is baggage tracking. Technology has played a key role in reducing the number of mishandled baggage. However, with passenger numbers expected to double by 2030, further reducing the number of mishandled baggage remains a challenge.


Greater innovation is required to support these further reductions and SITA is exploring technologies that will allow airlines, airports and ground handlers to track baggage every step of the way, using both existing and brand new technologies.

Identity Management
Identity Management is another key challenge for the industry and an important initiative for SITA, not only in terms of providing increased security but streamlining the immigration process globally.

The emergence of a 'single travel token' over the next few years is probably the most exciting development for passengers hoping to fast track through the airport.

In an early proof of concept using blockchain technology, the SITA Lab is creating a verifiable 'token' stored on a mobile device which contains biometric and personal data. The revolutionary technology provides the opportunity to allow secure biometric authentication of passengers throughout the journey across borders. This could eliminate the need for multiple travel documents without passengers having to share their personal data. Read more here

Kindly throw some light on your deal with Airport Authority of India with respect to the Airport Management System?
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) vision is to make India as a major Asia Pacific hub by 2016. As the key technology provider to AAI, SITA is a key partner in helping them achieve this vision.

SITA's Airport Management System application is the core of Airport Operations Control Centres (AOCCs) for 10 AAI airports and Mumbai International Airport. It is facilitating efficient airport management, enabling improved resource allocation through automation and quicker decision making; optimizing the use of airport resources; providing better synchronization between operations, commercial and security, and centralized control over operations of all stakeholders; and paving a path for Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM).

Being the strategic partner, SITA enabled AAI with CUSS, CUTE and BRS solutions, along with air-to-ground channels that empower DCL (pre-departure, flight clearance through datalink) systems and CPDLC. These systems have collectively enhanced passenger experience, operational efficiency and safety of aircraft operations.

The scope AAI gave SITA was to provide an airport management system integrated seamlessly with various third-party systems. We have delivered it on time and on budget. The result is enhanced inter-airport collaboration using easy-to-use modules for operational planning, giving the airports the flexibility needed to plan and improve business results through a highly integrated approach.

Kindly enlighten us on your future plans?
It is a very dynamic time for aviation in India. As the fastest growing passenger market in the world, India's aviation sector is expected to grow from being the ninth largest civil aviation market sized at $16 billion today, Ito become the third largest in just three years and the largest by 2030.

Technology will be key in managing the rapid growth of Indian aviation and partners such as SITA are ideally positioned to support this growth. SITA has a strong local presence in India with more than 60 years' experience working collaboratively at the heart of Indian aviation.

SITA is transforming Indian aviation through the provision of modern, standardized infrastructure and services throughout the country by partnering with airports and airlines to meet the demand technology that helps make their business stronger while enhancing the experience for their passengers.