[October 01, 2012]

Etihad Airways Begins Implementation of Latest Tranche of Sabre Software

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has started implementing its latest tranche of Sabre (News - Alert) software following the billion dollar technology agreement signed by the two companies last year.

As part of Etihad Airways' ongoing drive to create the world's most efficient airline technology infrastructure, it has adopted Sabre's codeshare, network and fleet management software to enhance planning and scheduling operations.

These new capabilities complement the Sabre technology already selected - including passenger reservations software - primarily because the seamless flow of data between the systems will augment efficiencies in areas such as scheduling, slot planning, route optimisation and passenger connectivity.

Etihad Airways is also Sabre's launch partner for the network manager software, a program that allows airlines to make intelligent schedule adjustments to improve connectivity through hubs.

The fine-tuning of schedules allows the airline to maximise connecting-traffic revenue, while delivering the best possible service to passengers.

These latest migrations mean Sabre is now Etihad Airways' sole technology provider for planning and scheduling, and is committed to helping the airline achieve its international network expansion and revenue targets.

Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways' Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: "Etihad Airways is growing rapidly and Sabre's technology helps us manage network comlexity while finding the most profitable approaches to network and fleet allocation.

"Being Sabre's launch partner for its network management software also demonstrates our commitment to the relationship and the importance of working with a single technology partner to achieve our long-term goals.

"The software simplifies what is a complex process, as it combines operational information with passenger behaviour data and creates potential schedule adjustment options that will allow us to maximise profitability."

Darren Rickey, Sabre Airline Solutions' Vice President Commercial Planning Solutions, said: "In early benchmark studies we found that the network management software typically generated profitability improvements of between 1 per cent and 2.5 per cent.

"But the broader relationship, and Sabre's role as Etihad Airways' single technology provider means that we will be continuing to work with our colleagues in the airline on a daily basis to ensure that our software is improving efficiency and creating the widest possible profit margins."

Etihad Airways' technology has been implemented using Sabre's software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) hosted infrastructure and followed comprehensive customer consultation.

Sabre Airline Solutions provides technology to the aviation industry. It operates the industry's largest Software-as-a-Solutions (SaaS) business, with its reservations system, commercial planning and operations software used by more than 300 airlines and over 100 airports around the world. More than 450 million passengers are put on airplanes every year using Sabre technology. Sabre Airline Solutions is part of Sabre Holdings, a global travel technology company serving the world's largest industry - travel and tourism. For more information please visit: www.sabreairlinesolutions.com.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2011 carried 8.3 million passengers. From its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad Airways serves 86 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, with a fleet of 66 Airbus and Boeing (News - Alert) aircraft, and 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger aircraft. Etihad Airways also owns nearly 30 per cent of airberlin, Europe's sixth largest airline, and 40 per cent of Air Seychelles. For more information, please visit: www.etihad.com.

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