Croatia Airlines to join Star Alliance Common Information Technology Platform

Madrid, April 19, 2007: Star Alliance Regional Member Carrier Croatia Airlines has decided to replace its current legacy IT system with the Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP), the alliance’s next generation technology platform for customer management systems. Under the guidance of Star Alliance Services GmbH, an agreement was recently signed between Croatia Airlines and Amadeus, the IT provider for the platform.

"This is very good news for the project itself, passengers and Croatia Airlines, as this decision marks the further extension of the Common IT Platform, demonstrating that this solution is suitable for carriers of all sizes within our alliance", said Aman Khan, Star Alliance VP Information Technology.

Croatia Airlines is planning to start migration from its current IT system to the CITP in 2007, creating an efficient and cost effective access to the entire range of Star Alliance products for the airline’s clients. The Star Alliance Common IT Platform is a strategic programme, focused on the effort to better serve the customer, markedly lower IT costs and significantly increase the speed of delivering new products to market. The project was originally launched in 2005 with Lufthansa and United Airlines as the lead carriers. Star Alliance member carrier South African Airways is using Amadeus Altéa, based on a similar technology as CITP.

"Selecting the Common IT Platform as our new passenger service system signifies the implementation of the world’s best practice and state-of–art technological solution, which will no doubt improve the quality and competitiveness of services rendered. Additionally, it will allow Croatia Airlines to more efficiently deliver the Star Alliance product range and customer promises", said Svemir Radmilo, Executive VP Sales Croatia Airlines.

The new platform is the first next generation customer management system available in the airline industry and is based on the same technological infrastructure and software for all users. This will enhance customer service functionalities, specifically for sales and airport environments, including such transactions as schedule, availability, inventory, reservations, fare quote and ticketing as well as passenger check-in. The improvement in customer service will come through ease of use as well as through the provision of better quality and common data for airline service agents when dealing with alliance customers.

Hans Jorgensen, Amadeus Vice President, Strategic Airline and Partner Programmes notes: "As more member airlines adopt the technology and the volume of passengers integrated on the platform increases, the potential for the Star Alliance network to deliver far-reaching results across the organisation is increased. A single system that ensures the same level of customer service excellence across the airlines, answers the financial, structural and operational challenges that these airlines would face otherwise."

Further Star Alliance member carriers are currently in the process of evaluating the Common IT Platform powered by Amadeus.

- Ends -

Notes to the editors:

About Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience. Star Alliance was voted Best Airline Alliance by Business Traveller Magazine in 2003 and 2006 and by Skytrax in 2003 and 2005. The members are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI, United and US Airways. Regional member carriers Adria Airways (Slovenia), Blue1 (Finland) and Croatia Airlines enhance the global network. Air China, Shanghai Airlines and Turkish Airlines have all been accepted as future members and are expected to join Star Alliance soon. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 16,000 daily flights to 855 destinations in 155 countries.


About Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines, full-service airline established in 1989, is the national carrier of the Republic of Croatia. Since 1992, Croatia Airlines has been a full member in the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and since 1998 a member of the Association of European Airlines (AEA). The company is a regional member of the Star Alliance, the airline network for Earth™, since 15 December 2004.
Croatia Airlines connects Croatia with most important European cities and through them with the whole world. Within the Republic of Croatia, Croatia Airlines connects Zagreb, Split, Pula, Dubrovnik and Zadar, and with seasonal flights Rijeka, Osijek, and Bol on the island of Brač. The company has one of the most modern fleets in Europe, comprising eleven aircraft – four Airbuses A319, four Airbuses A320 and three ATRs 42.


About Amadeus
A world-leading technology and distribution solutions provider, Amadeus delivers unparalleled expertise to the travel and tourism industry, including leading-edge solutions that cover airlines’ unique business needs, independent of their size, business model or market reach.
Amadeus’ new-generation Customer Management Solution (CMS) portfolio, Amadeus Altéa CMS, serves network and regional carriers. The Altéa portfolio, based on a pioneering community platform concept, enables improved operational efficiency and increases revenue. The portfolio consists of the Altéa Reservation, Altéa Inventory and Altéa Departure Control solutions.

Further complementing these integrated IT solutions is the Amadeus e-Travel Airline Suite. Over 70 of the world’s leading airlines use the Amadeus e-Travel Airline Suite to power over 250 websites in more than 80 markets.

More information about Amadeus’ solutions for airlines is available at: www.amadeus.com/airlines

For further information, please click here.