With SITA, There’s an App – and a Beacon – For That

SITA OnAir – a telecommunications company offering a “nose-to-tail portfolio” of connectivity services – launched a new-generation in-flight Wi-Fi application and Inflight Wi-Fi Voucher API, compatible with beacon technology. François Rodriguez, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer said it was designed specifically to help airlines “personalize and contextualize the passenger experience.”

The company, which functions as a co-op, offers a unique portfolio of services, including on ground and in-flight connectivity, cockpit and air traffic data services management and aircraft communications solutions. It’s this comprehensive service portfolio, and user-specific approach (offering solutions specifically for cabin crew, passengers, air traffic control, etc.), according to Rodriguez, that positions SITA OnAir as “the richest application shop at the expo.”

We dropped by the SITA OnAir booth to test drive the new app with Rodriguez and Aurélie Branchereau-Giles, corporate communications at SITA OnAir.

Attached to a wall inside the booth conference room is a glowing red orb about the size of a bottle cap – the beacon. “Say you’re at a lounge right now,” says Rodriguez after pulling his smartphone out of his pocket, “the beacon catches you on that particular stage of the journey, so what are the services it can propose?” Since Rodriguez is in range of the beacon, a notification pops up prompting him to sign up for Wi-Fi. “The app is bringing data hosted on the airline website together with the context of your travel experience,” he explains. After signing up and connecting, users will have context-specific information at their fingertips. “Maybe it’s access to movies, the status of the flight or the weather at the destination.” The app can also be used on the aircraft (with or without beacons) as well as at the destination.

“The app is bringing data hosted on the airline website together with the context of your travel experience.” – François Rodriguez, SITAOnAir

What Rodriguez says sets SITA OnAir apart, claims Rodriguez, is access to SITA Group’s airport infrastructure. “We have more than 700 airports already with that type of connectivity, so enabling beacons is not an issue.

“We’re bridging the ground experience that we’ve seen with the beacon, the cabin crew and flight operations on the ground, so you start enabling contextualization of the entire journey,” says Rodriguez.

The app is ready for launch in November and has been adopted by two unannounced customers and will be rolled out across the board thereafter.

All photos by Vance Walstra.