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SITA innovates to enable safer, easier, and more sustainable travel for all

We explore technologies, business models and processes that help the air transport industry reduce costs, overcome operational hurdles, and improve the passenger experience. Starting with our SITA Labs innovation team and expanding across the product portfolios, we thrive on solving the industry challenges of today and tomorrow.

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
Safer and more agile travel

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
Seamless passenger journey
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Read about the impact of COVID-19 on the baggage process

Blockchain for the air transport industry
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Read SITA's Whitepaper on MRO Blockchain Services

Digital ID
Seamless passenger journey

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.

Read more about SITA and Self-Sovereign Digital Identity

Digital Travel Declaration
Efficient ground and air operations
Seamless passenger journey
Safer and more agile travel

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.

Read more about SITA’s Digital Travel Declaration solution

Digital Twin
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Read more about SITA’s Digital Twin

Electronic Pilot Licenses
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Learn more about SITA’s work on digital pilot licenses

L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System

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.

Read SITA's Whitepaper on the LDACS transition concept

NEC biometrics
Efficient ground and air operations
Seamless passenger journey

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.

Read more about SITA and NEC global aviation partnership

SITA Connect SDN
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Read more about SITA Connect SDN

SITA Smart Path
Efficient ground and air operations
Seamless passenger journey

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.

Read more about SITA's Smart Path PoC at Istanbul Airport

Safety Line
Sustainability and future travel
Efficient ground and air operations

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
Sustainability and future travel
Efficient ground and air operations

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.

Read more about SITA’s Iridium integration

Touchless travel
Seamless passenger journey
Safer and more agile travel

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.

Read more about the deployment of SITA's Smart Path Drop and Fly at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Trusted health credentials
Seamless passenger journey
Safer and more agile travel
Efficient ground and air operations

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
Seamless passenger journey

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.

Read more about SITA’s UAM-related activities