Quick, secure departures as SITA’s technology arrives at Beirut Airport

Passengers at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) are enjoying faster check-in and boarding and on-time departures with the arrival of new systems from SITA, the leading air transport IT provider. Lebanese Air Transport Co (LAT), which manages departure control services for 15 airlines that use the airport, has switched to SITA’s Departure Control Services (DCS). More than 120 airlines and ground handlers globally use this world-class system.

As part of the five-year agreement, SITA is providing full network connectivity and local support at the airport. In addition, LAT is one of the first ground handlers to benefit from SITA’s next generation weight and balance system, which ensures that planes are loaded and dispatched safely and effectively using the latest graphical user interfaces.

Ibrahim Chehab, General Manager, Lebanese Air Transport Co., said: “Beirut Airport is experiencing growth and the need to update our systems was clear. SITA is the ideal partner for us because it provides sophisticated departure control services combined with network connectivity and onsite support.

“Already we are seeing an improvement in our passenger processing, with fully automated boarding and secure check-in services. Our airline customers are used to working with SITA at other airports around the world and enjoy the improvements we have made to the DCS in Beirut. We look forward to welcoming new airlines here.”

Hani El-Assaad, President, Middle East, India & Africa, SITA said: “Reducing ground-handling costs while ensuring safety, security and efficiency are constant challenges at airports. Upgrading systems while continuing to service airlines can be very challenging. In Beirut, LAT’s move to SITA Departure Control Services and Weight and Balance has gone very smoothly. LAT can now focus on attracting new airline customers with the confidence that they offer the best departure control services in a cost-effective way.”

In 2012, Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport handled more than 5.9 million passengers. It is growing at a rate of 8% annually.