The Environmental Summit in Copenhagen

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009. In attendance were Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General; Tom Windmuller, Head of Member and Government Relations; and Paul Steele, Director for Aviation Environment, who led the 40-strong cross-industry delegation, including the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), regional airline associations, IATA airline members, and representatives from manufacturers, airports, and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs).

Strategic Partners in CopenhagenAlso participating in this landmark event were representatives from the following Strategic Partners: Airbus, Boeing, Chevron Global Aviation, Embraer–Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A., GE Aviation, Jeppesen, MTU Aero Engines Holding AG, Naverus, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Snecma, and
the Thales Group.

Bunker fuels and taxationIATA’s goals included pressing for a global sectoral approach to reducing aviation emissions; showcasing industry actions on the environment (four-pillar strategy and industry targets); and ensuring that the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) maintains responsibility for aviation emissions.

The delegation focused on two main negotiating areas: the group of countries considering “bunker fuels” for aviation and shipping; and the group considering financing, especially proposals for taxing aviation to pay for climate-change mitigation in the least developed countries.

Communications efforts pay offAs a result of these efforts, the industry’s message and position reached delegates from a broad range of countries. Relationships were forged with several environment and foreign-affairs ministries, particularly in the G77 group of developing countries, as well as environmental and other NGOs. For example, one meeting in the IATA office included the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Climate Group, Transport & Environment (T&E), and German Watch.

Events and highlightsThe IATA delegation also participated in a number of side events.

During his first visit at the start of COP15, Mr. Bisignani presented the industry’s position at an official side meeting hosted by ICAO. Mr. Steele spoke at several side events during the week, one of which was hosted by IATA member airline TAROM in the EU pavilion. At an alternative-fuel event, Mr. Steele highlighted aviation biofuels’ role in reducing emissions.

IATA/ATAG also hosted their own event. A presentation by Mr. Steele was followed by an effective panel, composed of IATA’s Peter Griffiths, Nancy Young from the Air Transport Association (ATA), and ICAO’s Jane Hupé.

Goals achievedAt the end of the two-week meeting, the five-page Copenhagen Accord did not specifically address aviation emissions. Negotiations will continue in 2010 with countries meeting again at COP16 in Cancún, Mexico, at year’s end. Nevertheless, due to the unified and proactive industry position developed over the past 12–18 months, the IATA delegation made some good progress with country delegations: many delegations agreed that ICAO should monitor aviation emissions and develop a global approach with realistic, ambitious targets. Other delegations also realized that taxes on aviation are not the right response to climate change.

Going forwardThe IATA joint task force—the Environment Committee (ENCOM), Industry Affairs Committee (IAC), and Operations Committee (OPC)—will carry this work forward within the airline community. ATAG will coordinate the industry response with other segments of the aviation industry. IATA will also work closely with ICAO to ensure that efforts are aligned with that of governments.

Based on the results at COP15, IATA will continue to collaborate with industry partners and ICAO to prepare a global framework for managing aviation’s emissions. Plans are for this framework to be presented at the ICAO Assembly in September 2010.

Introducing a new area of involvementTo support the industry’s environmental initiatives, the Strategic Partnerships program has introduced a new area of involvement, “Environment Verifiers,” offered to companies with expertise in environmental and emissions verification.

To learn more about IATA’s involvement in COP15, please visit the Pressroom.

To learn more about IATA’s environmental initiatives, please visit What We Do.

IATA’s Strategic Partnerships program celebrates
its 20th anniversary

The year 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the Strategic Partnerships (SP) program. In honor of the occasion, Partner Brief presents the reminiscences of some of the original IATA team. Following this, some of the founding members of the program share their memories, in their own words.

The IATA Strategic Partnerships program brings together IATA and its member airlines with industry suppliers and service providers who possess valuable aviation-related experience. Strategic Partners pool resources and expertise, support IATA and its initiatives, assist in the development and implementation of industry standards, and promote evolving technologies.

Recalling the early days, Tom Murphy, former Vice-President of Industry Distribution and Financial Services (IDFS), points out that “twenty years ago . . . there was little formal dialogue with vendors. This was paradoxical as it was not practical to set vital industry standards without the direct involvement of the vendors, who had much of the technical knowledge.” 

The suppliers’ formal involvement started in 1989, with the launch of the Registered Suppliers program—as the SP program was originally called—in the Passenger Services area. 

As Mike O’Brien, IATA’s Director of Program Implementation and Auditing, remembers it, the program was launched with modest expectations. Since access was provided to just a few IATA activities, it was assumed that only about 10 to 15 companies would sign up in the first year.

In fact, the program did have nine founding members, ranging from global distributions systems (GDS) to engine manufacturers: Accelya, Amadeus, ARINC, GE Aviation, IER, Nordisk, SITA, SNCF, and Unisys.

To the team’s great surprise, membership reached triple figures within a couple of years.

Today, with 297 members, the program has expanded to 33 areas of involvement, and includes more than 100 work groups and task forces. As Mr. Murphy states, “From a modest beginning, the idea has now spread across most IATA activities, and the quality of IATA standards has grown enormously.”

Mr. O’Brien is also enthusiastic about the impact of the program for all IATA members, airlines and suppliers, particularly in the regions: “Several regional initiatives have resulted in operational efficiency and safety enhancements in the LATAM/CAR region, benefiting our member airlines.” Strategic Partners also benefit, receiving intelligence on key regional opportunities by participating in work-group and task-force meetings. “Creating the level playing field was ultimately beneficial to all,” Mr. O’Brien concludes.

And so it continues to be. John Boggs, Director of Leadership and Learning at IATA, perhaps sums it up best: “Bottom line: the participation by key suppliers in IATA standard-setting and technological leadership activities is even more important now than it was 20 years ago.”

We would like to thank all of the Strategic Partners, past and present, for their contributions to the program and to the industry. We look forward to 20 more years of cooperation and growth!

The SP Team
Lynn Lambrecht, Claudine Breton, Joy Gallowitsch, Gisèle Aways

To learn more, please visit the Strategic Partnerships program, or contact the SP team at partnership@iata.org.

Accelya

Accelya has been providing services to the airline industry since 1976. That was when the company signed its first agreement with IATA to implement the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) in Belgium. Nowadays, Accelya is the biggest IATA BSP data-processing-center provider, processing 50 BSPs representing 86 countries around the world.

With this background, Accelya is well-placed in the airline industry as a data-processing leader, managing huge volumes of critical data in a safe and reliable environment. Accelya’s business handles 425 million transactions per year, 1 million files dispatched per month, and 14,800 airline users, with 62,000 travel-agent users online connecting to its systems.

Francisco Mora, Accelya’s Director General, states that “we are proud to have been one of the first companies to join the IATA Strategic Partnerships program in 1990. We were then pioneers in this select partnership program serving the airline industry. We have also been involved with other industry events, for instance as the main sponsor of the IATA Revenue Accounting Meeting since 2004. We will continue to strengthen this partnership in the future.”

This close relationship with IATA gave Accelya the opportunity in the year 2000 to participate in the definition of BSPlink, which the company has subsequently developed, maintained, and operated. Accelya has also defined and developed services for the airlines that, over the years, have became industry standards.

Accelya provides solutions to address the industry’s current needs, such as a service for payment-data management, effective ADM dispute management through BSPlink, and a risk-management application that allows airlines to detect unusual agent behaviors.

Jordi Arcalis jordi.arcalis@accelya.com www.accelya.com

Amadeus IT Group, SA

Hans Jorgensen, Amadeus’ Vice-President of Industry Affairs, reminisces about how it all began.

Back in the early days of Amadeus, in 1987, a resolution was passed at the IATA Passenger Service Conference assigning industry codes containing the number “1” and a letter to global distribution systems (GDS).

I jumped at the chance for Amadeus to be allocated the coveted “1A,” so I immediately called Kendall Sanford at IATA, who was responsible for assigning codes.

Bad news—the “1A” had already been given to a rail company, but I pushed hard for that code. With some creative negotiating, good timing, and good contacts, we finally reached agreement and the code was ours. It took around three hours. This, I believe, was the first contact between Amadeus and IATA.

A few years later, the Strategic Partnerships program was established, with Amadeus as a founding member. Twenty years on, this program remains an extremely valuable forum for us, allowing us to hear firsthand the needs of the airline community.

In turn, we can better serve the airline industry with the deeper understanding we gain. Over the course of this relationship, Amadeus has been a major supporter of IATA initiatives to improve passenger experience, increase efficiency, and remove travel-chain costs.

There are still plenty of areas for potential collaboration to look forward to as developments such as interlining mature. For example, trains may replace planes for journeys under 600 kilometers—a compelling case for carbon reduction. Another area to explore is the improvement of payment systems.

We welcome new initiatives and look forward to another 20 years.

www.amadeus.com

ARINC Inc.

The year 2010 marks ARINC’s 20th anniversary as an IATA Strategic Partner.
Current IATA initiatives, including the Passenger Experience area of involvement and Simplifying the Business, particularly the Fast Travel Program, remind
us of the long history of industry cooperation and joint achievements.

ARINC’s communications, engineering, and integration technology have contributed to many of these achievements and solutions.

The strong relationship between IATA and ARINC has resulted in many benefits to the industry through improvements in flight and passenger operations:

• In 1996, ARINC worked with IATA carriers to open air routes across the Russian Far East, taking two hours off flights between the US and China.  
• During the era when paper tickets were king, ARINC’s service gave IATA carriers protection from ticket fraud—codified in IATA Resolution 781.
• With IATA, ARINC helped the airline community benefit from new flight routes using GPS navigation.
• In January 2009, ARINC deployed IATA’s Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks, and the world’s first operational Common-Use Passenger-Processing Systems (CUPPS) check-in system, at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.

Through collaborative efforts to establish standards, the airline industry has repeatedly pushed the limits and surmounted barriers through technical innovation. The process persists.

ARINC is proud to be an IATA Strategic Partner, and proud of its continuing efforts on behalf of IATA, IATA members, and, most of all, the passengers we all serve.

David Taylor DLT@arinc.com www.arinc.com

GE Aviation

GE Aviation has always been committed to developing more fuel-efficient aircraft engines that produce lower emissions. We, along with other engine manufacturers, have made great strides, improving fuel efficiency by about 20% in the last decade. This commitment has grown even stronger in the last five years, as emission regulations have become priorities for governmental agencies around the world.

GE Aviation joined IATA’s Strategic Partnerships program on the ground floor 20 years ago. A great resource, the program provides opportunities for us to collaborate with other aviation leaders on concerns impacting the entire industry.

GE Aviation’s participation in IATA’s Green Teams has allowed us to learn firsthand what aircraft operators need to help improve their operating efficiencies. We translated this feedback into new products and services to help our customers better manage their fuel consumption and, ultimately, reduce emissions.

IATA’s vision for carbon-neutral growth in the short term and emission-free aircraft in the next 50 years is a bold one. By working together with other industry leaders in thought-provoking forums established by IATA, aviation businesses like GE Aviation are striving to achieve these goals for our customers and the environment.

Steve Csonka steve.csonka@ge.com www.ge.com/aviation

IER

For over 30 years, IER has been an industry leader in passenger check-in and boarding. We are dedicated to providing the air transportation industry with reliable, innovative solutions for the safe management of passenger and baggage flows at airports.

IER joined IATA’s Strategic Partnerships program at the very beginning. This long and privileged relationship has allowed IER to supply its expertise and assist IATA, year after year, in the development and implementation of transportation-industry standards. Over the past 20 years, IER has been involved with different groups and IATA programs such as Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS), Common-Use Passenger-Processing Systems (CUPPS), and so on.

IER is committed to supporting the air transportation industry in deploying comprehensive solutions to make the passenger experience seamless, fast, and pleasant. To this end, IER is fully involved in IATA’s Fast Travel Program. We believe that self-service, widely deployed for check-in, will expand substantially and apply to baggage tagging and deposit as well as boarding.

IER’s self-tagging, baggage drop-off and self-boarding solutions demonstrate our ability to understand the changing needs of the market. Our innovative solutions improve passenger processing through the airport, while optimizing efficiency and reducing costs for air transportation operators.

Proud of this 20-year relationship, IER will continue to work closely with IATA, contributing to the enhancement of passenger and luggage processing.

Emmanuelle Mussard emussard@ier.fr www.ier.aero

Nordisk Aviation Products

Unit Load Devices (ULDs) perform the safety-critical function of keeping many tons of baggage and cargo in place during each and every flight. At the same time, they endure harsh handling conditions. Designers are under continual pressure to produce both lighter and cheaper units.

ULDs today look very much the same as they did 20 years ago, when Nordisk first became a Strategic Partner. To the discerning eye, however, major changes have taken place. ULD weight has been reduced considerably, the result of improved materials and design. In 1990, a typical LD3 container weighed 110–120 kilograms; today, it can be as light as 55 kilograms.

Nordisk Aviation Products designs, manufactures, and sells the widest range of containers and pallets in the industry. With more than 650,000 ULDs sold to the global market, 40,000 units being lightweight composite containers, Nordisk is used by almost every airline operating wide-bodied aircraft. This scale enables huge amounts of cargo and baggage to be transported safely and securely.

As a participant in both the ULD Technical Panel and the Interline ULD User Group meetings, Nordisk prides itself on bringing critical issues to the attention of member airlines. Issues such as damage reduction, safer handling, and performance improvements are critical to airlines wishing to capitalize on the millions of US dollars usually invested in their ULD fleet.

The challenge for airlines, Strategic Partners, and IATA is to remain focused on developing and implementing cost-effective, practical, and effective solutions. The experience of the past 20 years will help the industry shape the next 20.

Robert Rogers Robert.rogers@nordisk-aviation.com Peter Grau peter.grau@nordisk-europe.com Hector Plaza hplaza@nordisk-aviation.com www.nordisk-aviation.com

Unisys Corporation

This year, Unisys Corporation celebrates its 20th year as a member of the IATA Strategic Partnerships program.

Back then, Unisys, a producer of universal and customized transportation products for airlines and airports, was one of the first service-supplier companies to attend an IATA passenger-services meeting—albeit as an auditor. This launched a long and successful series of EDIFACT meetings. Out of that early experience developed the concept of “partnership members.” Unisys became a charter member of the IATA Strategic Partnerships program—and has maintained an active, ever-growing membership status since then.

We now attend IATA meetings covering a broad range of topics, including cargo, revenue, operations, passenger reservations, departure control, airports, communications, and technical work groups.

Looking back, it is easy to see how our IATA membership has been the backbone of a successful relationship with our airline and airport customers. Each year, Unisys representatives attend over 25 IATA meetings and conferences, taking part in the design of new procedures and message standards.

This is how we are able to stay abreast of industry trends and adapt our transportation products to new standards. In fact, all Unisys transportation products are designed to be compatible with the latest IATA and industry standards. We maintain and refine our products, informed by our dedication to standards organizations and our transportation expertise.

Today, Unisys transportation products are used in countries around the world.

Arthur Kourajian arthur.kourajian@unisys.com www.unisys.com

Simplifying the Business:
IATA Passenger hits 2010 running

New projects, new Board targets set out an ambitious road for the year ahead.

The 190th IATA Board of Governors meeting concluded in Montreal on
4 December 2009. At the meeting, the Board recognized the work of the Passenger department. Given its success achieving all 2009 targets despite the global economic recession, the Simplifying the Business (StB) program was expanded.

“To have met all our targets in this kind of environment illustrates the value the Passenger department brings to the industry,” said Philippe Bruyère, Global Head of Passenger. “The role of Strategic Partners in achieving these targets was critical. On behalf of the entire department, I would like to express my thanks to our partners, and I look forward to working with them in 2010.”

A new project on EMDThe Board approved the addition of a new project based on IATA’s Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD) standard. Paper documents, like excess-baggage tickets, tour orders, and prepaid ticket advices, still stand in the way of a smooth, seamless, and paperless experience for passengers. Airline proprietary electronic versions of these documents don’t provide the flexibility interline passengers need.

EMD will create a paperless environment according to a global standard. What does this mean for passengers?

• More services. StB has always concentrated on giving customers more options—allowing choice, convenience, and control. EMD enables a whole range of optional services—from fast-track security to Wi-Fi access to a limo home.
• Smoother interline and alliance travel. EMD enables these services to be offered across journeys, even those involving multiple airlines. This makes life simpler for passengers traveling with alliance or interline partners.
• Easier access to services. EMD means that both airlines and travel agents can sell these services quickly and easily.
• More flexibility. Just as electronic tickets made changes easier, EMD will make changes to these services easier too.

The IATA Board set a target of 100% industry capability by the end of 2012, and 100% usage of EMDs in IATA distribution systems by the end of 2013.

EMD represents $2.9 billion in annual savings for the industry. The governance of the project, as well as the role of Strategic Partners, will be formulated in the coming months.

Passenger Experience moves forwardThe Passenger Experience area was expanded, with targets set for the flight-rebooking project. The project allows passengers to obtain a new boarding pass for canceled or delayed flights at a self-service channel, avoiding long lines. While the project has always been part of the program, there is now a critical mass of industry interest to drive implementation.

The document-scanning project was closed on 31 December 2009, with its goals achieved. It exceeded its target of 75 Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS) airports with the capability to scan travel documents; by the end of 2009, 117 airports were capable. Document scanning is being replaced by a new, larger project, “document check,” which goes one step further. The document-check project validates this information against the data required by arriving-destination authorities, utilizing industry tools such as Timatic.

In addition to flight rebooking and document check, the other Fast Travel projects—bags ready-to-go, self-boarding, and bag recovery—continue. The Board has set a target of 60 implementations across these five areas for 2010, with at least five new implementations in each area.

The work in the CUSS and Common-Use Passenger-Processing Systems (CUPPS) areas has been combined into a single working group, called “Common Use.” The purpose of this working group is to gain a broader view of global aviation infrastructure. The group will focus on standards and solutions that address the common-use area.

2010 deadline for BCBP and IATA e-freightTwo projects, Bar-Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) and IATA e-freight, have industry mandates in 2010. The 100% BCBP deadline is 31 December 2010. Current capability stands at 83%. While industry progress is remarkable, gaps remain in major markets such as India and China. Closing these gaps will be a priority for the project team in 2010.

As of this month, 24 locations and 47 major airports are e-freight live, representing 64% of air-cargo volumes. By the end of 2010, 44 locations and 76 airports will be using paper-free air cargo, representing over 80% of air-cargo volumes. Major markets expected to go live in 2010 include China, India and Mexico.

BIP to launch self-help in 2010Baggage Improvement Program (BIP) solutions were brought to 25 airports in 2009. Next year, the BIP team will conduct consulting visits with another 15 airports and launch the self-help program. These initiatives will permit the BIP’s solutions toolkit to be used at even more airports and airlines around the world. The self-help program facilitates self-assessments of baggage-handling practices using BIP best practices and the BIP solutions toolkit.

The team identified over 90% of mishandling in their visits to date. Several carriers have already reduced mishandling dramatically as a result of implementing BIP solutions. For example, TAM has cut mishandling by 50% at Sao Paulo airport.

For more information on these initiatives, please visit Simplifying the Business

IATA Conferences and Events

IATA conferences, exhibitions, and industry meetings provide outstanding networking opportunities as well as an association with the IATA brand, a world-class global endorsement. These events cover areas as diverse as pricing, ground-handling, legal issues, fuel and security, among others, which benefit airlines, airports, travel and cargo professionals, as well as service providers and governments.

Featured events

• IATA Legal Symposium
  28 February–2 March 2010 — Lisbon, Portugal
  The 2010 edition will be the 13th annual international premier aviation law event. This year’s symposium continues the tradition of addressing the most significant legal issues facing the airline industry.
  
  
• IATA World Cargo Symposium
  8–11 March 2010 — Vancouver, Canada
  This year, the focus will be on how the air-cargo supply chain can bounce back from the current recession and rebuild its future.
  
  
• CNS Partnership Conference
  2–4 May 2010 — Miami, Florida
  Participate in the primary cargo event in the US, and network with industry leaders. 

Upcoming events
Ground Operations Symposium
16–19 May 2010 — San Diego, California

126th Schedules Conference
17–20 June 2010 — Berlin, Germany

127th Schedules Conference
11–14 November 2010 — Melbourne, Australia

Visit IATA Events for a complete list of all upcoming events.

Michael Huntington
Manager, IATA Conferences and Events
Tel: +1 450 715 1313

Since 1990, IATA Strategic Partners have been contributing to IATA and the air transportation industry through their involvement in the Strategic Partnerships program.

We are happy to introduce the following new Strategic Partners.
Access the company websites directly by clicking on their logos.

Access IS		Air Traffic Simulation, Inc. (ATSI)		Bagage-Identification
Dawi Oil Ltd.		EnviroCooler LLC		Kimoha Entrepreneurs Ltd.
KIU System Solutions		MC Aviation Partners Inc.		QSL Consultores
Sagem Sécurité		Sahara Group Ltd.		SGS – Société Générale de Surveillance

For a complete list of Strategic Partners, and to learn more
about what they offer, please visit our online directory.