Germany`s TUI AG, the world`s largest tourism corporation, and EDS announced on Thursday that TUI`s airline division, TUI Airline Management, will use EDS`s software-based flight-planning system axsFlightplanning for its Group Operations Centre.
TUI Airline Management will unite the six airlines it manages -- Britannia Airways (UK), Britannia Nordic (Scandinavia), Corsair (France), White Eagle (Poland), Neos (Italy) and Hapag-Lloyd Flug (Germany). -- on the axsFlightplanning system.
This announcement follows a major new aerospace industry initiative EDS launched during last month`s Farnborough International 2002 air show and brings to eight the number of new European airline clients EDS has secured in the last month. At the show, EDS announced the opening of a new European Air Transportation Centre of Excellence in Zurich, which is serving the company`s eight new airline clients, and the release of a new version of its aerospace industry-leading product design software.
Through its six brands, TUI Airline Management represents Europe`s sixth largest airline. TUI Airline Management has 7 500 employees, operates 88 aircraft and serves some 19 million passengers annually. The TUI AG owns a network of 81 tour operator brands and reported 2001 annual revenue of more than 22 billion euro.
"As a group of airlines, we can work more productively if all of us rely on one system," said Christian Commissaire, director flight ops at TUI Airline Management. "axsFlightplanning (or Skytrack) is already in service in our Group Operations Centre, which now provides comprehensive operational support to three of our airlines." (Hapag-Lloyd Flug, Britannia Nordic and Neos). The intention is to extend the usage of axsFlightplanning to Britannia UK and Corsair by next winter."
axsFlightplanning
axsFlightplanning is a software-based flight planning system that coordinates and optimises an aircraft`s route and speed, fuel and flight plan calculations, pilot information and other flight-related functions. EDS has offered the axsFlightplanning solution since December 2001, when the company finalised an agreement to purchase the assets of Atraxis, the former Swissair IT provider.
Based on type of aircraft, navigation, weather and all other actual conditions, the system produces flight plans in optimal accordance with the actual situation. Compared to all competing flight-planning systems, axsFlightplanning allows a higher reduction of fuel consumption because of its unique way of using real-time information and recording the time of each and every overflight.
In addition, the system interfaces with various other airline systems, including departure control and crew management, so that an airline`s flight plan is electronically linked with other related operations. Further specifications have been added to meet TUI`s demands best.
"Functionality, innovation, stability and last but not least the price measured against performance have been decisive factors," Klaus V"olschow, Operations Manager for Hapag-Lloyd Flug, said. "With EDS, we have a partner meeting our demands perfectly."
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TUI AG, the word`s leading tourism group headquartered in Hannover and Berlin, encompasses 81 tour operator brands throughout Europe with around 22 million guests per year. The group also includes 3 715 travel agencies, 32 incoming agencies, and carriers with 88 aircraft. Its hotels portfolio contains 285 hotels with about 150 000 beds.
EDS
EDS, the leading global services company, provides strategy, implementation, business transformation and operational solutions for clients managing the business and technology complexities of the digital economy. EDS brings together the world`s best technologies to address critical client business imperatives. It helps clients eliminate boundaries, collaborate in new ways, establish their customers` trust and continuously seek improvement. EDS, with its management consulting subsidiary, AT Kearney, serves the world`s leading companies and governments in 60 countries. EDS reported revenues of $21.5 billion in 2001. The company`s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDS) and the London Stock Exchange. Learn more at eds.com or eds.ch.