ARINC-and-SITA-Led Work Group Sets New Vision for XML-Based Communications in the Air Transport Industry

October 5, 2006

Annapolis, Maryland, USA, and Geneva, Switzerland—ARINC Incorporated and SITA today released a detailed set of standards and specifications to enable the adoption of efficient, XML-based business-to-business messaging (PDF, 655 KB) in the Air Transport Industry (ATI). The standards define a new messaging approach—Type X—making use of XML and Web Services technology to complement existing industry Type B messaging.

ARINC and SITA operate extensive global networks carrying an estimated 40 million Type B messages daily for airline reservations, passenger check-ins, baggage handling, and data communication between airlines, global distribution systems, ground handlers, and other travel service providers. The underlying IATA standard spans both legacy and Internet Protocol (IP) communications, and today’s modern communications may still use Type B message formats, but Type X will enable more cost efficient IT environments and flexible communications. 

The standards and specifications ratified this week represent more than a year of development by a blue-ribbon industry work group including Amadeus, British Airways, Galileo, Lufthansa Systems, Mercator, Northwest Airlines, Sabre, and Worldspan.

The group has worked closely with the IATA XML Task Force, OASIS, and the OpenTravel Alliance to develop an open standards-based specification, complementary to the efforts of these groups.

“The industry is in the midst of significant transition and under tremendous pressure to lower costs,” said Michael McShea, Senior Director of Global Product Management for ARINC Network Solutions. “Web Services and XML-based messaging stand to improve collaboration dramatically in the industry, while lowering application development and maintenance costs for business-to-business integration, and increasing use of the Internet.”

Mansour Rezaei-Mazinani, Head of Network Services Engineering at SITA, stated, “Transitioning to XML will pave the way for changes being driven by the industry-wide implementation of applications such as e-ticketing and new security requirements for passenger processing, while enabling significant benefits delivered by the use of XML technologies. These include driving down spending on development and maintenance, reducing costs related to legacy platforms, and enabling faster integration of applications.”

The specifications were formally ratified by the Type X Work Group earlier this week and will now be more broadly released to the industry. By the end of year the Type X Work Group plans to sponsor pilot projects to demonstrate real-life implementation of the Type X standard. A White Paper has also been released by the companies, showing how Type X can revolutionize the industry’s business communications, lower the cost of development, integration and operations, and help meet the challenges of emerging applications.

The full ratified Type X specifications and White Paper are available at the ARINC and SITA web sites and the Type X Work Group web site at www.TypeX.aero.

SITA is the world's leading service provider of IT business solutions and communications services to the air transport industry. SITA manages complex communication solutions for its air transport, government and GDS customers over the world's most extensive communication network, complemented by consultancy in the design, deployment and integration of communication services.  Its extensive range of airline and airport IT applications and services includes airport operations and integrated baggage services, common use and desktop services, flight operations and air-to-ground communications and end-to-end airline distribution and fares services.

SITA covers 220 countries and territories and the head office is in Geneva, Switzerland. SITA had aggregated revenues of US$ 1.554 billion in 2005 (€ 1.295 billion). Further information can be found at www.sita.aero.

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Release: 06-117

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