SITA and Comfone develop in-flight phones

CANNES -- SITA and Comfone, the Swiss based supplier of roaming services to mobile network operators, have taken a step forward in the development of in-flight communications with the signing of a contract that is designed to make paying for on-board phone calls easier for airline passengers. Both companies are exhibiting and participating in the 3GSM World Congress this week.

SITA representatives said they are now working with GSM operators and aims to launch the service later this year. Passengers will then be able to swipe SITA’s AIRCOM Mobile Charging Card through any on-board handset to pay for all in-flight calls through their GSM subscriber account. The main benefits are that passengers avoid having to making a separate payment by credit card and that this service will be available on over 1,200 commercial aircraft in use by 60 different airlines that make use of SITA’s passenger communication services.

"Our partnership with Comfone represents an important development for passengers, who will continue to see improvements in the field of in-flight voice and data communications," said Veronique Blanc, SITA's director of passenger and cabin communications. "SITA’s aim is to provide airline passengers with the same mobile phone connectivity in the air that they are used to getting on the ground. Through working with Comfone a customized SITA solution will be put in place to meet the needs of our customers as well as satisfying the requirements of the GSM industry."

Business travelers

Market research conducted by SITA revealed that 94% of business travellers had mobile phones and that 57% wanted to be able to bill their own mobile phone accounts when making calls onboard aircraft. The response from leisure travellers showed similar trends and so it is expected that the new service should appeal to many travellers world-wide.

SITA conducted the Business Requirements for Aeronautical High speed Mobile Satellite Services (BRAHMSS) study for the European Space agency in 2001 and the passenger survey included 500 travellers at London Heathrow Airport.

"Airline travel is one of the last areas where full mobile communications services are still not available, so we are extremely pleased to be working with SITA to provide a simple, effective solution," said Walter Heutschi, President Comfone. " By providing SITA with data and financial clearing-house facilities we can ensure that all call records (TAP files) generated as a result of onboard flight communications are sent to the relevant mobile operators. We will also be providing SITA with advice and expertise as they start to develop relationships with mobile operators and increase their use of roaming services."

SITA has been providing passenger communication services since 1992, and operates systems for both aircrews and passengers on over 1,200 commercial aircraft used by 60 different airlines. SITA is an acronym for Airline Telecommunications and Information Services Société internationale de télécommunications aéronautiques, or Airline Telecommunications and Information Services.

1,800 cusstomers

With 50 years’ experience, SITA says it is today the world’s leading provider of integrated information and telecommunications solutions to the air transport industry. SITA has around 740 members and 1,800 customers including airlines, airports, travel distribution and computer reservation systems, governmental organizations, aerospace and airfreight companies. SITA recorded corporate revenues of over US$1.57 billion in 2000.

Comfone employs 70 people based at its headquarters in Bern, Switzerland. The company's service portfolio combines its roaming platform, GRX, data, financial and SMS interworking clearinghouse and signaling services.

Last week, SITA was among several organizations in the travel, mobile telephone, smart card and payment systems industries to announce a joint program to provide a comprehensive, fast, convenient and reliable solution for the business traveler for arranging both domestic and international travels on the Internet.

Groupement des Cartes Bancaires "CB" (France), SSB (Società per i Servizi Bancari) (Italy), SITA (The Netherlands), GEMPLUS (France) and Sagem S.A. (France) announced they will work together to provide the business traveler with an end-to-end solution to accommodate nearly all his travel arrangements and requirements through the Web.

Smart card

The "c-TRAVEL" solution (an acronym for "corporate" or "card" travel) relies on the use of a bank-issued chip-card to secure the exchange of information between the various entities involved in a travel transaction (user, travel services agent and travel services provider) as well as the related payments. The multi-application chip-card is used as a trusted device giving access to airline, hotel accommodation and car rental services. 

The chip-card, when used in a dual slot mobile phone, gives to the business traveler the convenience of changing travel arrangements while on the move, whilst still maintaining the required level of security and reliability. The "c-TRAVEL" system will also provide the ability to obtain airline boarding passes from automated e-ticketing machines located in airports.

This project is to be carried out for a period of 18 months within the European Commission’s Information Society Technologies Framework Programme. The project will rely heavily on existing industry functional and security standards (e.g. use of a FINREAD secure card reader, development of a JAVA chip-card platform, etc.).