Tap Portugal selects Star Alliance Common IT Platform developed by Amadeus

Madrid, Spain, 21 April, 2008: TAP Portugal, a member of the Star Alliance network, has chosen the Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP) as a replacement for its current IT systems, including reservations, inventory, ticketing and check-in. CITP is a joint centralised platform developed and hosted by Amadeus for participating Star Alliance member carriers. TAP plans to migrate all key airline IT systems, including reservations, inventory, ticketing and check-in to CITP by 2010.

The project was originally launched in 2005 with Lufthansa and United as the lead carriers. To date, Austrian and TAP, as well as regional members Adria Airways and Croatia Airlines have joined CITP. Additionally, Star Alliance member carrier South African Airways is using Amadeus Altéa, based on a similar technology as CITP.

CITP is based on the first next generation Customer Management System available in the airline industry. CITP will enhance customer service functionalities, specifically for sales and airport environments, including schedule, availability, reservations, inventory, fare quote and ticketing as well as passenger check-in.

“We are delighted that TAP has selected the Star Alliance Common IT Platform as this strengthens our members’ ability to greatly improve time to market, reduce costs of ongoing development work and enables a seamless service offering across our global network. It is also an important step forward for the overall project and proves that we are following the correct strategy with the aim of better serving the traveller”, commented Aman Khan, Star Alliance VP Information Technology.

The new platform will improve airlines efficiency within the alliance through common services, ease of use, as well as through the provision of better quality and common data for airline service agents when dealing with alliance customers. This will allow a higher level of customer service to be delivered across the Star Alliance network, benefitting all stakeholders.

”TAP Portugal is growing and our customers demand high levels of service. New tools are needed to win the challenges of the present and to achieve the excellence in the future. The business has to be more flexible and the service delivery has to be of top quality. In this context, IT plays an important role as a business enabler for success. With the new platform, TAP will improve its processes, will strengthen its relationship with airlines and partners and will provide a better service to our customers on a worldwide network, throughout the process chain'', commented Manoel Torres, Member of the TAP Executive Board.

“Amadeus has invested over 3000 man years in developing a new generation platform for airline customer management and in the coming years will invest further to maintain and build upon this achievement,” said Hans Jorgensen, Amadeus Vice President, Strategic Airline & Partner Programmes. “With the recent migration of the first airline’s inventory to the Common IT Platform, we have passed a major milestone on the road to full implementation of the project.”

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Notes to the editors

About Amadeus
Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travellers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories – Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.

Amadeus has central sites in Madrid (Corporate Headquarters & Marketing), Nice (Development) and Erding (Operations – Data Processing Center) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. At market level, Amadeus maintains customer operations in 75 countries covering more than 215 markets. The company has nearly 7,800 employees worldwide, representing 95 nationalities.

More information about Amadeus is available at: www.amadeus.com


About TAP Portugal:
TAP Portugal is the leading Portuguese airline, member of Star Alliance since March 14, 2005. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, North & South America, where TAP stands out as the leading European carrier in operation to Brazil. The company’s network comprises 58 destinations in 25 countries worldwide. TAP currently operates over 1,850 weekly flights in average on a modern fleet of 52 Airbus aircraft, to which add 16 more aircraft operating in PGA, the European regional carrier acquired by TAP in 2007. Pursuing its customer focused orientation, TAP continuously strives to deliver safe, reliable and upgraded product & services tailored to meet customers’ expectations. Retaining the Portuguese character of the Company’s brand and quality service as the basic concept has been the main driver of TAP strategy in most recent years.

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 received the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award in 2008 and was voted Best Airline Alliance by Business Traveller Magazine in 2003, 2006 and 2007 and by Skytrax in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The members are Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Regional member carriers Adria Airways (Slovenia), Blue1 (Finland) and Croatia Airlines enhance the global network. Air India and EgyptAir have been accepted as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers nearly 18,000 daily flights to 965 destinations in 162 countries.

Contact details

Amadeus Media Relations
Corporate & Marketing Communication
Tel : +34 91 582 0160
Fax : +34 91 582 0188
e-mail :mediarelations@amadeus.com

Star Alliance Press Office
Tel : +49 69 96375 183
Fax : +49 69 96375 683
Email : mediarelations@staralliance.com
www.staralliance.com

TAP
Corp. Communications & P.R.
Tel : +351 21 841 5004
Fax : +351 21 841 5881
e-mail : gcrp.com@tap.pt
www.flytap.com