Austrian Airlines announces the replacement of its inventory and check-in systems and is joining the Common IT Platform, a Star Alliance wise key initiative. Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP) is a joint centralised platform hosted by Amadeus for participating Star Alliance member carriers. Alongside United, Lufthansa and some other regional members of Star Alliance, Austrian Airlines is now launching a comprehensive migration project to oversee the staged transfer of all key airline IT systems, including inventory, ticketing and check-in, to the new platform by 2010.

Rainer Pichler, VP Austrian IT Services said the following about the benefits of the CITP: 'With Amadeus as provider, we can lower our unit costs in order to significantly reduce both the ongoing costs of our IT development and maintenance and the costs of reservation systems. This will enable us to simplify business processes in many of our divisions, and adapt these to meet a contemporary standard. Because Austrian is joining this initiative with some other Star Alliance members such as Lufthansa and United, the companies will be able to maintain their existing process optimisation, while the removal of interfaces will let Austrian realise improvements in the service range for its customers more quickly and efficiently than ever before.'

Hans Jorgensen, VP Strategic Airline and Partner Programmes at Amadeus noted: “Austrian Airlines exemplifies a growing number of carriers turning to more flexible, new generation technology, to facilitate better alliance integration, improve customer service and maximise operational efficiencies. As the market becomes more complex, it is important that all airlines can trust their IT systems to deliver unfailingly on their changing needs, irrespective of whether they are full-service, network or regional players.”




Airlines within the Star Alliance currently use their own reservation and handling systems. To make it possible for passengers to travel with a range of different Star Alliance airlines, however, the different systems need to be able to communicate with one another. To achieve this, interfaces are put in place, which normally involve costs for the airlines in question. The new CITP replaces these interfaces, since the partners will be able to access a joint platform in future.

”With Austrian's decision to join the CITP initiative, more Star Alliance carriers will be able to serve our joint customers in a more uniformed manner and provide them enhanced service. Furthermore, it will enable Austrian to reduce their current and future development efforts, said Aman Khan, Star Alliance VP Information Technology. “This is a major step forward for CITP, Star Alliance and for Austrian Airlines.”

The Austrian Airlines Group took its first step towards harmonising services for customers of the Austrian Airlines Group and Lufthansa in 2000, since when it has used the same booking and handling systems as Lufthansa.

During implementation of the Common IT Platform, over 15,000 staff days will be necessary in the next years to complete the ambitious project successfully. In order to use the project synergies as far as possible, it is to be implemented together with Lufthansa.

In a first step to take place in 2008, the heart of any airline, its inventory system, will be migrated. Working approximately one year in advance, all 150,000 flights of the Austrian Airlines Group, including the appropriate seating capacities, flight times, etc., will be mapped into this system. In the next step, the ticketing system will also be operating on the new platform by 2009 and the check-in system by 2010. Austrian Airlines will then not only be prepared to better cooperate with the Star Alliance members, but also within the big Amadeus Community.