SITA: IT investment in China's airports and airlines rises, cybersecurity the top priority

SITA stated (20-Nov-2018) its '2018 Air Transport IT Insights for China' found an increased investment and focus in cyber security and baggage in the country. The 2018 report surveyed 70% of Chinese airports and 64% of airlines, finding the following trends:

• Airports increased IT investment, with the segment accounting for 5.6% of revenues in 2017 and 7.5% in 2018, higher than the global average of 5.7%;
• 94% of airlines and airports are planning major cybersecurity programs or R&D over the next three years;
• For 2018, airlines plan to spend 7% of their IT budget on cybersecurity, while airports are forecast to devote 18% of theirs;
• Chinese airlines and airports are ahead of global counterparts in the field of cybersecurity, when compared across a basket of nine tested areas;
• For 2019, 100% of airlines plan to have more than 50% of their route network compliant with the IATA 753 Resolution to track baggage at every point of the journey. By the end of 2021, 100% of the airports will have two of the four baggage steps tracked and 94% plan to have all four;
• Chinese passenger numbers have risen nearly 13% year-on-year to more than one billion in 2018;

SITA VP and GM East Asia May Zhou stated: "Digitisation is top of mind for both airlines and airports in China", with "100% of airlines and 95% of airports have digital transformation already in place, under implementation, or planned". Zhou also predicted "China is set to lead the world on efficiently managing this process, reducing costs and improving the passenger baggage experience." [more - original PR]