SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 5, 2005–
Spanish Flag Carrier Employs Consulting Services and Advanced
Network Management and Scheduling Tools from Sabre Airline Solutions
to Improve Its Fleet Plan, Hub Structure and Schedule Efficiency
Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana, Spain’s leading airline, will implement four key components from Sabre Airline Solutions’ integrated planning and scheduling suite, AirFlite, commencing later this month, giving the airline a comprehensive network management and scheduling solution. As part of the arrangement, the airline will also utilize Sabre Airline Solutions’ consulting services to help improve its hub structure and transform the business to exploit the new technology solutions.
“By implementing Sabre Airline Solutions’ network management and scheduling suite, we will have comprehensive, integrated planning and scheduling capabilities for everything from hub design to fleet analysis to route profitability analysis to rotation generation,” said Jose Bolorinos, head of network management at Iberia Airlines. “These tools will allow us to optimize our schedule across our entire network to ensure we fly the most reliable and profitable schedule possible. Implementing these tools in conjunction with utilizing Sabre Airline Solutions’ consulting services means we will substantially improve our capabilities in the short term, helping us to increase revenue and decrease costs.”
Pairing the consulting team’s extensive expertise in network planning, fleet planning and flight scheduling with the progressive technology of the AirFlite suite can significantly improve Iberia’s competitiveness and profitability.
The consulting team at Sabre Airline Solutions will immediately begin working with Iberia to conduct critical network analysis, improve network and fleet planning business processes and provide business case training in parallel with the implementation of the planning and scheduling technology.
“Iberia’s decision to implement additional systems within the AirFlite suite supports its long-term goal to optimize the profitability of its schedule and improve the utilization of its fleet to gain a competitive advantage in the European marketplace,” said Murray Smyth, vice president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for Sabre Airline Solutions. “Our integrated planning and scheduling solutions will help the airline best determine the most profitable markets to serve, how often to serve them and the most appropriate aircraft to use.”
Iberia joins other leading European carriers such as Air France, Alitalia, British Airways and Lufthansa that use AirFlite. Components of the AirFlite suite that Iberia will implement include:
-- Sabre AirFlite Schedule Manager -- Enables schedulers to
continuously explore better scheduling solutions. Using the
system, schedulers can manage flight schedules all the way
from long term planning to short term operationally oriented
changes, view single or multiple flight schedules, and update
and distribute flight schedules both internally and
externally.
-- Sabre AirFlite Fleet Manager -- Matches seat capacity to
market demand within a set of defined operating constraints.
The system, which can generate 0.5 percent to 3 percent in
incremental annual profitability, also quantifies the
financial impact associated with individual operating
constraints and evaluates the financial impact of varying
fleet and equipment types on a proposed schedule.
-- Sabre AirFlite SlotManager -- Enables airlines to effectively
manage and track slot rights at slot-coordinated airports
around the world. The system, which improves productivity by
50 percent to 70 percent in the slot management activity,
reduces the possibility of costly errors and helps maximize
the usage of valuable slot assets.
During the implementation of the new products, Iberia will also upgrade to the latest version of AirFlite Profit Manager, a system the airline has utilized since 1997 that evaluates the profitability of a proposed flight schedule, forecasts market share and allows an airline to evaluate future schedule scenarios.
About Iberia
Iberia today is Spain’s leading airline and also market leader on Europe-Latin America routes. With 2004 revenues of 4.8 billion euros, net earnings of 220 million euros, Iberia is Europe’s most profitable scheduled airline. At the same time it is distinguished by its social, economic, and environmental policies, which were rewarded in 2004 by Iberia’s inclusion in the Dow Jones Stoxx sustainability index. Iberia’s commitment to the integration of disabled people in the workplace has made it one of the three companies best perceived for its social policies in 2003, and number one in employee cooperation programmes, according to the independent Enterprise and Society Foundation. Together with its franchise partner Iberia Regional, Iberia completes about 1,000 flights each day to about 100 destinations. In 2004 Iberia carried about 30.5 million passengers. It is a member of the oneworld airline alliance along with Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LAN and Qantas.
About Sabre Airline Solutions
Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world’s largest provider of software products, reservations and departure control systems and other passenger management systems, and consulting services that help airlines simplify operations and lower costs. Sabre Airline Solutions’ proven leadership is demonstrated by the growing number of airlines that leverage the technology and services: More than 200 airlines worldwide use Sabre Airline Solutions’ broad portfolio of smart solutions for decision-support tools to increase revenues and improve operations. More than 100 airlines worldwide rely on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, with eight new carriers choosing SabreSonic, the first new generation reservations system offered in the market, in 2004 and four carrier renewals. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to the Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial and operational consulting.
Sabre Holdings Corp. (NYSE:TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com/.
Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo, AirFlite and SlotManager are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corp. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. (C) 2005 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTACT: Sabre Holdings Corp., Southlake
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
or
Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana
Manuel Lopez Colmenarejo, +34 91 587 87 87
mlopezc@iberia.es
or
Jose Bolorinos Cremades, +34 91 587 70 81/52
jbolorinos@iberia.es
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions
