SITA will now take the giant step forward to cement its global leadership in CUTE and CUSS solutions with 85% of international air passengers using its biometrics products

SITA, the global leader in technology solutions for the air transport industry has completed the regulatory formalities and legal procedures to acquire Materna IPS. This strategic move will reshape the aviation industry, resulting in the world’s most powerful passenger portfolio for airports and digital travel.

The acquisition represents an unprecedented acceleration of global aviation industry digitalization, streamlining check-in, baggage handling, and security processes. Travelers can expect reduced wait times, smoother journeys, and a new era of personalized digital services.

This strategic move will see SITA become number one in terms of market share of solutions like Self Bag-Drop while it strengthens its leadership of areas such as biometrics, with 85% of international air passengers served globally, and in Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and Common Use Self Service (CUSS) kiosks. All this will impact the entire travel industry in a very positive way as it tackles challenges to meet pressing industry demands for increased terminal capacities and best-in-class secure solutions leading to easy travel for all passengers. It’ll allow the industry to transform airports from simple transit hubs to digital, personalized experiences​ for travelers across the world.

The integrated solutions portfolio will let airports process more passengers and optimize resources to give travelers a better experience. With a global footprint of around 120 airports around the world, the integration of Materna IPS positions SITA as the undisputable market leader in terms of end-to-end solutions at airports, strengthening existing solutions such as Self Bag-Drop. Materna IPS offers best-in-class secure solutions for all passenger touchpoints, from check-in to baggage claim and boarding. It adds additional and deep specialist knowledge to SITA’s offering as well as a highly customized set of solutions, agile and bespoke support and a broader range of services.

SITA leads the world in passenger self-service solutions at the airport with over 13 billion air passengers using SITA systems. As airports transform digitally and the market accelerates towards solutions such as Self Bag-Drop, SITA and Materna IPS’s solutions complement each other in a powerful way.

“As we complete these final steps, we’re looking forward to Materna IPS joining the SITA Group,” said David Lavorel, SITA CEO. “Our focus will now move to unifying our teams as we work towards combining our solutions and expertise. With the extraordinary talent and innovative solutions brought to the table by both SITA and Materna IPS, we’ll create a unique and unbeatable portfolio of solutions. With this, passengers around the world will be able to look forward to a much easier and more seamless way of travelling as we reshape the future of travel."

This integration builds on Materna IPS’s common use check-in solutions at kiosks, counters or online - multiple options for user-friendly Self Bag-Drop, and more. It will make a powerful combination with SITA's portfolio of solutions, including biometrics, computer vision, digital travel, and airport operations management.

About SITA

SITA is the air transport industry's IT provider, delivering solutions for airlines, airports, aircraft and governments. Our technology powers more seamless, safe and sustainable air travel.

With around 2,500 customers, SITA’s solutions drive operational efficiencies at more than 1,000 airports while delivering the promise of the connected aircraft to customers of over 18,000 aircraft globally. SITA also provides technology solutions that help more than 70 governments strike the balance of secure borders and seamless travel. Our communications network connects every corner of the globe and we bridge 45% of the air transport community’s data exchange.

In 2023, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved our near-term and long-term emission reduction targets. These science-based targets are pivotal in guiding our climate actions to curtail greenhouse gas emissions effectively. We are also developing solutions to help the aviation industry meet its carbon reduction objectives, including reduced fuel burn and greater operational efficiencies.

SITA is 100% owned by the industry and driven by its needs. It is one of the most internationally diverse companies, providing services in over 200 countries and territories.

For further information, go to www.sita.aero

Materna IPS

Materna IPS GmbH, is an international service provider for automated passenger handling for airlines and airports. From kiosk check-in and self-bag drop hardware through to software implementations as well as service delivery and maintenance – Materna IPS has huge expertise in this sector with lots of successful customer-projects around the world.

The company´s well-proven software portfolio includes Common Use-based applications for kiosk, online check-in, self-bag drop and solutions for secure access and self-boarding. For a seamless travel experience, biometric identification as well as RFID technology and payment services are also integrated into the respective solutions.

With over 150,000 daily bag drops and a leading number of installations, Materna IPS takes No 1 position in self-bag drop. These solutions provide fast, easy, and secure baggage drop-off processes, which can easily be implemented into existing infrastructure at the airport. The numerous options stand for flexible and customizable systems but all have a unique user experience.

Their international branches in the USA, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom enable Materna IPS to support their customers individually and to react quickly and professionally to market requirements.