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 to this effect has been 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 CITPommon IT Platform 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.”
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