Turkish Airport future-proofs new terminal with SITA technology

Air transport IT specialist, SITA, is providing passenger processing and baggage reconciliation technology at Turkey’s newest domestic airport terminal at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. SITA’s industry-leading AirportConnect Open common-use offering will help the new terminal maximize its real estate, while providing airlines with an efficient and cost-effective solution for passenger processing. SITA will also continue to provide common-use and baggage reconciliation services for the airport’s main terminal.

Binnur Guleryuz Onaran, General Manager of TAV Information Technologies, a subsidiary of TAV Airports, which built and operates the terminal, said: “We have built a new airport terminal not just for today, but for the next 20 years. We need the best and most flexible technology available, which is what SITA has provided. We have been working with SITA since TAV was established in 1997, along with the tender for Istanbul Ataturk Airport’s International Terminal. So we trust its knowledge and expertise in providing industry-leading and future-proofed technology for airports.”

SITA’s common-use solution, which supports both the Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS) standards, will enable the airport, its airlines and their handling agents to access their respective IT applications in real time on shared equipment. They will also be able to use any airport desk, gate or self-serve kiosk for passenger check-in, bag drop and boarding for maximum flexibility and convenience.

The airport will also use SITA’s BagManager, a real-time baggage management solution that helps reduce the number of mishandled bags, and SITA’s MaestroDCS Local, which automates passenger check-in, boarding and other functions.

Hani El-Assaad, President, Middle East, India and Africa, SITA, said: “As the airport continues to grow and expand, it needs the industry’s most innovative technology which SITA provides to ensure that passengers enjoy a smooth and seamless journey. This new deal is an extension of our strong relationship with TAV and further cements our position as the leading airport IT provider in Turkey.”

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport provided services to 10.2 million passengers in 2013, an increase of nine percent over the previous year. Approximately 2.5 million of these passengers were international, while 7.7 million were domestic. The airport serves 54 airlines, flying to 86 destinations across the world and six airlines, flying to 21 destinations in Turkey. Over 6.5 million bags passed through the airport in 2013.

The new terminal, which serves domestic flights, officially opened in March and is now Turkey’s largest domestic terminal with an indoor area of approximately 200,000 square meters.