Airlines shun new technology

AIRLINES are loathe to become involved in new technology generally, according to a new survey. Of 150 top airlines questioned, 45 said they expected investment in information technology (IT) to either stay the same or fall next year.

Seventy per cent said they looked no further than three years ahead in their IT strategy, systems company SITA found. Two in five of the airlines said they did not have someone at board level responsible for IT, while 62 per cent said they spent less than 3 per cent of revenues on IT. Conversely, nearly four in five of the airlines said they already sell tickets over the Internet or will do so in the next two years.