Founded in 1949 by 11 airlines, SITA has been owned by the air transport industry and driven by its needs since its inception. SITA’s history is one of constant technological innovation, starting in 1950 when it took its first steps towards creating the world’s largest data network, which stretched across 75 communication centres for 52 airline members by 1957. In 1966, SITA launched the world’s first working network to use packet switching principles, continuing to harness the most cutting-edge developments in IT and telecommunications, even contributing to the creation of the internet in 1969 by activating the world’s first nodal distributed network.
Over the decades, as SITA continued to improve and build upon its network, it also expanded its expertise to support airlines, airports, and governments in processing passengers and baggage, managing borders, driving digital efficiencies and sustainability for aircraft, and beyond. In 1984, in time to support the needs of airlines, airports, and passengers for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, SITA introduced its Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) system, which multiplied tenfold the number of airlines a domestic US terminal could handle.
SITA’s involvement in key global sporting events did not end there, from developing the world’s first e-visa system for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, to working closely with government, airport, and airline stakeholders to integrate digital identity and travel authorisation for fans’ smooth arrival at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In 2017, SITA introduced its biometric ID management technology SITA Smart Path for seamless passenger journeys, supporting airports’ and airlines’ shift to touchless, digital travel through the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving into the future with universal digital identities.
“As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we remain steadfast in our commitment to reinvent travel and transport,” said SITA CEO David Lavorel. “Our vision is fuelled by our passion for the industry, our forward-looking expertise, and our dedication to positively impacting our customers' business.”
SITA is committed to continued transitions to Cloud and SaaS solutions, as well as frictionless end-to-end journeys with data insights and visibility to optimise operations and touchpoints across the journey. Priorities include the aviation industry's operational excellence, digital transformation and sustainability, including turnaround optimisation, fully biometric journeys, and efficient aircraft.
