Sky Express, Russia’s First Low-Fare Airline, Selects Navitaire for Reservations and Revenue Management Systems
Accenture-owned Navitaire to Help Sky Express Expand Russia’s Nascent Domestic Flight Market
MINNEAPOLIS and MOSCOW, Russia; Jan. 31, 2007 – Sky Express, Russia’s first low-fare airline, has signed an outsourcing agreement for Navitaire’s hosted reservation and revenue management services. The services include Navitaire’s New Skies reservation system and SkyPrice® revenue management system. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Navitaire, a wholly owned Accenture (NYSE: ACN) subsidiary, provides technology and business solutions to the airline industry on an outsourced basis.
Sky Express is the first Russian airline to use Navitaire’s systems and it will be the twelfth airline to implement Navitaire’s New Skies reservation platform. Sky Express will launch services from Moscow’s Vnukovo international airport using New Skies’ integrated Internet booking system.
The new airline will target customers that currently travel by train and other modes of transportation by offering low fares and creative marketing promotions. With only 5 percent of the Russian population using domestic flights today, Sky Express believes the potential to stimulate market growth is significant.
“As we launch a new era of travel in Russia, we needed a provider that already powers many of the world’s fast-growing, successful carriers to equip our airline, and Navitaire was the natural choice,” said Marina Bukalova, General Director, Sky Express. “With Navitaire, we gain access to proven solutions that offer us the best direct sales capabilities, easy-to-use systems with tremendous flexibility and a partner that is able to support our aggressive growth plans.”
“Sky Express is well-poised to expand the overall Russian travel market, and Navitaire provides airlines with advanced, cost-effective solutions to capitalize on such opportunities,” said John Dabkowski, Navitaire managing director. “Navitaire systems help new, growing and established airlines achieve high-performance and enable profitable growth.”
About Sky Express
Sky Express Airlines (www.skyexpress.ru), established March 2006, plans to operate a fleet of six Boeing 737-300 airliners by April 2007, initially from Moscow’s recently-modernised Vnukovo airport with expansion to major Russian cities. Sky Express’ goal is to conduct 6,000 flights during the first six months of 2007 and 30,000 flights during the full year. Sky Express estimates it will serve 600,000 passengers in the first half of 2007 and 3.5 million passengers throughout the year.
About Navitaire
Navitaire (www.navitaire.com) delivers industry-leading technology services enabling growth, profitability and innovation for over 75 airlines worldwide, including a majority of the world’s most successful and profitable airlines. Navitaire provides reservation, direct distribution, decision-support, revenue accounting and protection, and operations management and recovery services through its eight global offices. Navitaire is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture.
Jim Finlaw
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