Source: SITA

  • SITA will now take the giant step forward to cement its global leadership in CUTE and CUSS solutions with 85% of international air passengers using its biometrics products

SITA, the global leader in technology solutions for the air transport industry, has completed the regulatory formalities and legal procedures to acquire Materna IPS. This strategic move will reshape the aviation industry, resulting in the world’s most powerful passenger portfolio for airports and digital travel.

The acquisition represents an unprecedented acceleration of global aviation industry digitalization, streamlining check-in, baggage handling, and security processes. Travelers can expect reduced wait times, smoother journeys, and a new era of personalized digital services.

This strategic move will see SITA become number one in terms of market share of solutions like self-bag drop while it strengthens its leadership of areas such as biometrics, with 85% of international air passengers served globally, and in Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE)and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) kiosks. All this will strongly benefit the entire travel industry as it tackles pressing demands for increased terminal capacities and best-in-class secure solutions leading to easy travel for all passengers. It’ll allow the industry to transform airports from simple transit hubs to digital, personalized experiences​ for travelers across the world.

The integrated solutions portfolio will let airports process more passengers and optimize resources to give travelers a better experience. With a footprint of around 120 airports around the world, the integration of Materna IPS positions SITA as the undisputed market leader in terms of end-to-end solutions at airports, strengthening existing solutions such as self-bag drop. Materna IPS offers best-in-class secure solutions for all passenger touchpoints, from check-in to baggage claim and boarding. It adds additional and deep specialist knowledge to SITA’s offering as well as a highly customized set of solutions, agile and bespoke support, and a broader range of services.

SITA leads the world in passenger self-service solutions at the airport with over 13 billion air passengers using SITA systems. As airports transform digitally and the market accelerates towards solutions such as self-bag drop, SITA and Materna IPS’s solutions complement each other in a powerful way.

“As we complete these final steps, we’re looking forward to Materna IPS joining the SITA Group,” said David Lavorel, SITA CEO. “Our focus will now move to unifying our teams as we work towards combining our solutions and expertise. With the extraordinary talent and innovative solutions brought to the table by both SITA and Materna IPS, we’ll create a unique and unbeatable portfolio of solutions. With this, passengers around the world will be able to look forward to a much easier and more seamless way of travelling as we reshape the future of travel.”

This integration builds on Materna IPS’s common use check-in solutions at kiosks, counters, or online – multiple options for user-friendly self-bag drop, and more. It will make a powerful combination with SITA’s portfolio of solutions, including biometrics, computer vision, digital travel, and airport operations management.