In 2024, SITA (Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques) celebrates its 75th anniversary. The company was at the forefront of transforming the travel industry and even played a significant role in the advent of the internet. Today, SITA is not just a global brand but a leading provider of information technology for the air transport sector. The company serves approximately 2,500 clients worldwide, and its solutions enhance operational efficiency for over 1,000 airports, ensuring connectivity within a global aviation ecosystem of 17,000 aircraft. SITA's communication network connects all corners of the globe and facilitates 60% of data exchange for the aviation community.
Marina Zvyagina, Vice President of SITA for Eastern Europe, the CIS, and the Baltic States, spoke about global trends in the aviation industry, the most sought-after IT solutions in civil aviation today, and how the Kazakhstani air transport market differs from the international one.
Marina, how long has SITA been present in the Kazakhstani market? Do global industry trends align with those in Kazakhstan? How noticeable is the demand for IT solutions here?
— SITA has been present in the Kazakhstani market since 1996 and is continually expanding its presence and engagement with representatives of the national aviation sector. It can be said with certainty that by investing in the digitalization of its aviation industry, Kazakhstan has made significant progress. Digital products and services are becoming increasingly widespread, and the process is noticeably scaling up. However, the full implementation of electronic technologies and the widespread use of digital solutions for baggage management and passenger transit is still underway.
SITA is, so to speak, a trendsetter in the field of digital technologies in aviation. Thanks to our efforts, passengers in Kazakhstan are no longer surprised that most major airports offer digital services, such as online check-in and electronic boarding passes, while airlines provide online booking and mobile applications. Nevertheless, we see our mission as broader—to show the market new horizons that will help it meet the global ambitions of the industry. Currently, a new growth point is the development of self-service solutions for passengers, which they are gradually becoming accustomed to—primarily self-check-in kiosks and baggage drop-off points. The next logical step could be the implementation of biometrics while adhering to all local regulatory safety standards.
There is currently active development of aviation infrastructure in Kazakhstan: a new terminal for international flights has been launched in Almaty; in Astana and several other cities, there is an active modernization of air hubs. Which companies does SITA collaborate with in Kazakhstan?
— SITA collaborates with leading airports in Kazakhstan, including Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent. In April 2023, Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport and SITA signed a large-scale investment program for IT systems, which includes the implementation and integration of advanced digital solutions for automating and optimizing processes, including passenger service and baggage handling.
SITA's technologies are also utilized by all major airlines in the country—Air Astana, FlyArystan, SCAT, Sunday Airlines, and Qazaq Air. These include various solutions to ensure quality communication both on the ground and during flights, as well as innovative developments ranging from real-time aircraft tracking to ensuring fuel efficiency at all stages of flight.
Which products might be of the most interest to your clients?
— Globally, SITA serves about 90% of the aviation business, meaning that nearly every passenger flight uses our technologies to some extent. We offer over 400 products and services across various categories, including airport and airline operations, baggage management, border control, passenger data processing, airport IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
Back in 2017, the company introduced the SITA Smart Path biometric identification technology, which is now used in dozens of airports worldwide. The technology continues to evolve, including through integration with mobile devices and the use of AI.
When it comes to Kazakhstan, there is a strong interest in technologies that enable airlines to implement intelligent systems for optimizing fuel use and processing information about special weather phenomena for air traffic controllers and pilots. In the first case, thanks to machine learning, our system can create an actual database of flown routes based on the company's history and indicate to the pilot how much fuel and time can be saved depending on the characteristics of a particular aircraft, wind, temperature conditions, recommended routes, and other data. In the second case, flight controllers and pilots gain access to real-time information about special weather phenomena from multiple sources, allowing them to make quicker and more accurate decisions, thereby enhancing comfort and flight safety. This directly impacts passengers, providing them with a sense of calm and confidence at every moment of their journey, allowing them to relax and enjoy the sky without unnecessary worry.
Many experts today divide the modern history of civil aviation into pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. In 2020-2021, the industry faced an objective decline in performance indicators. Since the beginning of 2022, there has been a noticeable increase. What can you tell us about your company's results? Has the demand for SITA software and other digital products grown?
— Since 2020, airlines have started to increase their IT spending, with business analytics and artificial intelligence becoming key investment priorities. By 2023, with the growing popularity of generative AI, this shift has become even more apparent—airlines began investing in transformative technologies to address operational challenges, optimize passenger service, and enhance environmental sustainability. As sustainability issues increasingly take center stage, carriers are also paying closer attention to using eco-friendly aviation fuel, the efficiency of aircraft turnover, and ground operations.
Moreover, an important area for investment has become passenger-oriented technologies—solutions for contactless identity verification, self-service, and real-time process monitoring. Biometrics is becoming a common phenomenon, helping to manage queues, with 70% of airlines expecting biometric identification management to be implemented by 2026, and 90% of airports investing in major programs or R&D in this area.
For SITA, which has played one of the most crucial roles in the recovery of air transport and the development of technologies for digital travel, 2023 has been a record year—approximately $1.5 billion in revenue for the year (a growth of about 7% year-on-year).
What new products are you launching? Share your plans.
— As travel becomes increasingly accessible and intermodal, the significance of unified digital systems that simplify passenger transport over land, sea, and air is constantly growing. Accordingly, SITA's portfolio is also expanding, including through the acquisition of companies that provide aviation products and services and business analytics. Since the beginning of 2024, the company has made two major acquisitions—MATERNA IPS, a leader in automated baggage drop systems, and ASISTIM, an expert in flight management. I believe the latter could have potential for our partners in Kazakhstan, as it will allow airlines to outsource critical operations and optimize solutions related to recruitment, training, and retention of operational control center staff.
Additionally, this year SITA took a significant step in end-to-end travel technologies by launching SmartSea, a company operating in the maritime transport sector. As the maritime transport sector faces similar challenges, it can significantly benefit from aviation technologies.
How do you envision the future of technology in travel? What could SITA's contribution be to shaping the user experience of the future?
— Behind what may seem simple from a passenger's perspective lies large and complex processes in our industry. If we imagine a world where the passenger fully controls their journey, and airports and airlines operate as efficiently as possible at all stages, that is precisely the future SITA is striving for, and it is what we are truly passionate about.
In addition to developing technological solutions, SITA regularly and deeply studies the industry in collaboration with passengers, airports, and airlines, conducting large-scale annual research. We share the results in public reports, and this kind of "clock synchronization" aids the overall progress and education of the industry, fostering an understanding of global trends and seeking new growth points.