Trivandrum, India, 06 June 2006: IBS Software Services, a leading provider of softwaresolutions to the travel, transportation and logistics industries, has announced the successfulimplementation of iFly, (the IBS product for managing staff travel requirements of airlines) forSouth African Airways (SAA). SAA is the second customer for IBS’ iFly, the first being Air NewZealand.
Travel concessions are one of the most sought after benefits for airline staff. iFly is a web-basedsolution built on new generation technologies that automates the airline staff travel process. iFlyfacilitates a self-serviced environment for staff to use concessions and make bookings directlythrough its comprehensive booking module. The rules manager module of iFly helps staff traveladministrators to define and maintain staff travel policies and rules centrally.
According to Mike Re - CIO, South African Airways, “Selection of the right staff travelmanagement system was an essential criteria given SAA’s restructuring of its core IT systems.iFly was a perfect functional and technical fit for our requirements. The IBS team worked inperfect harmony with our IT team ensuring a smooth transition to the new system, conformingto the tight deadlines. The implementation of this new system has generated a steady increase inthe number of staff bookings with a much more simplified and manageable solution now beingavailable for use.”
V K Mathews, Chairman and Managing Director – IBS Group said, “Staff travel is an areawhere there is a huge potential for saving, especially in terms of productive work hours ofemployees. We are extremely pleased that SAA selected iFly for their staff travel requirements.The generic nature of the product helped us quicken our pace for customization duringimplementation. This being the very first year of iFly’s conceptualization, we are indeed satisfiedwith the market acceptance of our product and are committed to introducing resourcefulinitiatives for the TTL industry.”
iFly will allow the SAA staff to utilize their travel concessions and create bookings directly on theAmadeus reservation system. This would reduce the time spent on arranging staff travel andlower the workload of the staff travel department. The application is accessible through internetlinks, staff kiosks or through own office terminals.
About South African Airways
South African Airways (SAA) is the leading airline on the African continent, and consistently, andannually, receives awards from numerous top-rated publications and international organisationsfor Best African Airline. The airline is 72 years old and was one of the first national airlines in theworld. Transnet, the South African government transport body, owns SAA. The airline's 11 000employees hold a 2% stake in the company.
The airline carries more than 7 million passengers a year on a route network that serves 34 citiesin 26 countries. SAA has a fleet of 58 aircraft including brand new Airbus A340-600, A340-300Eand A319 aircraft. SAA Technical, the largest maintenance facility in Africa, performsmaintenance work for more than 40 major airlines.
Global Headquarters: South African Airways, Airways Park, Jones Road,Johannesburg International Airport, 1627, South AfricaPhone: +27-11-978-1000; Fax: +27-11-978-1795.
