Kenya Airways, one of Africaå‘s largest airlines, is the latest to sign up for the full suite of financial solutions on offer from Mercator, the Dubai-based IT division of the Emirates Group.

The deal further strengthens Mercator’s African customer base, and covers Mercator’s
revenue accounting solutions - RAPID Passenger and RAPID Cargo - and ComStar, its recently-launched solution for analysing telecommunications costs.

RAPID extracts the financial and strategic data from tickets or cargo waybills which airlines need to plan better, react faster to rivals and compete more effectively.

Kenya Airways
now expects to increase cash flow and productivity, cut accounting costs and streamline administrative processes.

The Kenyan national carrier has also chosen ComStar, a swift and simple means of identifying and removing potentially costly errors in telecoms charges.

Kenya Airways’ fleet of 16 Boeings carries more than 1.8 million passengers a year to cities throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. An ambitious expansion plan sees the airline inaugurating Bangkok and Hong Kong routes in September, and taking delivery of Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in 2004/5. 

Kenya Airways’ Chief Financial Officer Christopher Smyth, said: “We’re already one of Africa’s most successful airlines, having just celebrated our silver jubilee last year - 25 years of flying.

“Top-class revenue accounting and financial systems are at the heart of our expansion strategy, and we’re convinced Mercator has the tools and expertise we need to drive our ambitious growth plans.”

Dermot Mannion, President Group Support Services for the Emirates Group, said “Our financial products are winning more and more customers, and we’re delighted to welcome Kenya Airways to the family. Mercator systems are proving to be the solution of choice for this industry.”

Related stories on ITN:

(07/04/2003) Virgin Atlantic Awards Major Consultancy Deal to Mercator

(10/12/2002) Olympic Airways Flies High with Mercator`s Outsourced Solution

(04/11/2002) Mercator Customers Shape Future Airline IT Strategy

——-