Aviation communications specialist SITA is reporting flat revenues for 2005 but recorded healthy growth in new business during the year.
SITA says that total revenue amounted to $1.55 billion during the year, compared to $1.58 billion in 2004. Of this, $726 million came through applications services business SITA Inc while $828 million came through communications unit SITA SC.
The SITA INC revenue figure represents 13% growth over the $642 million reported for 2004, which it says is “four times the industry growth pattern”.
“SITA Inc achieved several breakthroughs in 2005, namely the incorporation of OnAir, the launch of CHAMP Cargosystems and the $200 million outsourcing agreement with Düsseldorf airport,” it says.
SITA Inc managing director Francesco Violante adds: “In 2005 we won new business to the value of $582 million which brings the total contract value for new wins over the last three years to $1.386 billion, a clear vindication of our business strategy.”
SITA SC revenues were down from the $940 million reported for 2004, but the company says it brought in $158 million of new business in 2005.
“Customer satisfaction levels are high which gives us a solid foundation to develop our new higher value added services and firmly establish ourselves as the only communication services integrator dedicated to the industry,” says SITA SC CEO and director general Hans-Peter Kohlhammer.
“The ultimate gauge of success, however, is customer retention, which stood at 91% at the end of 2005.”
SITA Inc and SITA SC are due to become a single unit in July, headed by current SITA Inc chief Violante.
SITA chairman Paul Coby says: “In 2005, SITA did a good job supporting our air transport community. Both the applications services and the communications services businesses exceeded their new business targets by 30%. This has helped create a solid foundation for integration into a single SITA organisation planned to start this July.”
Source: Flight International
