Unisys has had its contract with an international airline consortium renewed with a six-year engagement to provide a baggage reconciliation system (BRS) as a managed service.
The contract, signed in the first quarter of 2021, covers seven international airports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
No sum is given, but Unisys described it as a “multi-million-dollar contract”.
The agreement includes network infrastructure and security architecture; training; end user device management and onsite support; application management; and round-the-clock help desk support.
Unisys has worked with the Board of Airline Representatives Australia (BARA), which manages the engagement on behalf of the group of airlines, since 2004 to provide the system that links passengers with their bags, tracking both as they move through the system.
This latest agreement adds data security measures that identify and contain data breaches to further secure the sensitive passenger data associated with the system.
It also supports a new Android-based interface for the hand-held scanners used by baggage handlers.
The BRS is designed to meet IATA’s Resolution 753, by tracking bags through key points of the journey: spanning passenger handover to airline, loading to the aircraft, transfers to connecting international flights and the final return to the passenger, Unisys said.
It added that it also helps airlines comply with the Aviation Security Act’s “Triple A” (account and authorise) baggage handling regulations relating.
“Passengers expect both their baggage and their personal information to be safe and secure. Likewise, airlines want to be in control and need to track and know the location of a bag to set standards for improved passenger experience,” said BARA executive director Barry Abrams.
“Given the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the airline industry, including international travel restrictions across Australian borders, BARA’s member airlines need a flexible solution that can scale up or down in line with fluctuating passenger demand. Unisys pay-as-you-use model provides us with that flexibility while complying with mandated security requirements for baggage handling.”
“Efficient, safe, and secure processes and systems are key to a positive experience for travellers to and from Australia,” Unisys Asia Pacific client management vice president Andrew Whelan said.
“The COVID-19 situation helped us to take a step back and further invest in optimising our digital offerings for airlines and ground handlers to enhance baggage reconciliation and tracking process. We are delighted to continue our relationship with BARA to provide an affordable solution that combines business efficiencies, secured systems, industry compliance and an improved passenger experience.”Got a news tip for our journalists? Share it with us anonymously here.
Copyright © CRN Australia. All rights reserved.