An extended agreement between global IT provider SITA and Gold Coast Airport will see the Australian hub deliver an enhanced passenger experience.
Gold Coast Airport uses SITA’s common-use platform – AirportConnect Open – alongside self-service bag drop and check-in kiosks. The new agreement continues the airport’s relationship with the IT provider, which has been in place for more than 10 years. It also follows the release of SITA’s 2019 Air Transport IT Insights report, which found that airport CIOs are seeing strong returns on their technology investments with 68% recording a year-on-year improvement of up to 20% in passenger satisfaction levels. Meanwhile 44% saw an increase in average passenger processing times.
“Gold Coast Airport had been one of Australia’s fastest-growing airports in the past decade,” said Mark Allen, general manager technology Queensland Airports Limited. “Throughout this time, SITA’s ability to deliver a smooth transition to a common-use passenger processing system (CUPPS), with complete flexibility to embrace individual carrier requirements, has been particularly valuable.”
In FY2019 Gold Coast Airport welcomed 6.5m passengers, making it the fifth busiest international airport in Australia. Passenger numbers have steadily risen at the airport in recent years and are expected to more than double by 2037. Plans are now underway for a $500m investment in redeveloping the airport precinct.
Meanwhile, Jay Youlten, SITA regional director, North Asia, and Pacific, said: “Gold Coast Airport is a prime example of how investment in technology can increase operational efficiency and satisfaction among passengers. We are confident we’ll match the future demands of this airport, which is 100% dedicated to delivering an outstanding passenger experience.”
