Saudia airlines pivots to order-based system in aviation

Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, Saudia, has taken a leap forward in improving personalization capabilities for airline customers by leveraging next-generation technological advancements.

According to a report, the airline is leaning on innovation from global travel technology company Amadeus to introduce a guest-centric approach toward digitization. Saudia is pivoting from traditional booking systems relying on PNRs and other electronic data to a single, dynamic record.

The new system, Order, is designed to provide a robust record of all payments made by an airline passenger, allowing Saudia to offer improved services across all verticals. The system tracks consumer actions from ordering to payments, all the way to service delivery for travelers.

Leveraging the new Amadeus Nexus environment, the system introduces new perks, including tailored pricing and personalized offers to customers. Following the introduction of the new system, Saudia will offer hand-picked cabins and a raft of customized services to guests in real-time.

“Moving to single Orders means we can gain a better understanding of our guests, what they’ve purchased from us, and our partners across the entire journey,” said Saudia Chief Commercial Officer Arved von zur Muehlen. “Orders are the foundation for a more connected travel experience.”

Executives note that the transition did not disrupt any existing airline processes, with parties pointing to Amadeus Smart’s bridging capabilities. Going forward, Saudia is ditching the legacy Amadeus Altea Passenger Service System (PSS) for a new data-driven model with consumers at the heart of the change.

“Moving to Orders with smart bridging is an important milestone that lays the foundation for a whole host of new traveler-centric capabilities,” said Amadeus executive Maher Koubaa.

While Amadeus Nevio does not mention blockchain technology, its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-native functionalities are considered state-of-the-art.

Airlines are embracing emerging technologies

Air Astana inks collaboration deal with flydocs for wholesale digital transformation

Kazakhstan’s national carrier, Air Astana, has signed a partnership with aviation asset management solution provider flydocs for robust digitization across its value chain.

The partnership will introduce a state-of-the-art digital records management (DRM) solution for Air Astana that is in line with its digitization goals. The incoming wave of DRM solutions will apply to Air Astana’s fleet of over 60 aircraft.

Per the agreement, flydocs will introduce its proprietary software with Air Astana’s maintenance and engineering (M&E) systems and its passenger booking and travel records (PNRs). Flowing from the integration, Air Astana is primed to enjoy the perks of smart retrievals and advanced search functionalities while improving the scope of predictive maintenance.

flydocs’ functionalities will extend to fraud detection in booking processes while improving compliance standards with regulatory authorities. Furthermore, it introduces tamper-proof ledgers for maintenance records, luggage handling, passenger records, and other audit trails.

Air Astana has signaled a keen intent to embrace emerging technologies to keep pace with other regional carriers amid a changing technology landscape. The airline is focusing on digital transformation to introduce operational efficiency and sustainability to its workflows.

Pratap Shetty, Air Astana’s Director of IT Operations and Engineering Systems, revealed that partnering with flydocs was an easy choice for the airline. For starters, Shetty points to flydocs’ track record in digitizing airlines, highlighting its 75 global clients and innovative streak.

Air Astana’s digitization push follows Kazakhstan’s recent embrace of next-gen technologies. Kazakhstan aims to become a digital asset hub in Central Asia while targeting the launch of a digital asset bank.

Furthermore, there are plans to explore public sector AI applications in the country amid an adoption trend by Kazakhstan-based private enterprises.

Aviation ramps up its adoption pace

The aviation sector has always been innovating, with leading global airlines integrating emerging technologies into their operations. TCS has entered into a five-year partnership with Air New Zealand for a raft of AI-powered functionalities.

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