ATPCO buys SITA’s Airfare Insight fare management system

ATPCO is expanding its product portfolio with the purchase of SITA’s fare management system, Airfare Insight (AFI).

The deal closed January 1 but is just being announced. SITA will continue to operate AFI and will work with ATPCO to serve the airlines currently using AFI, including Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Xiamen Air, as the system is integrated into ATPCO’s Architect pricing tool,

Architect, unveiled in November, is an automation tool to enable airlines to efficiently manage their pricing strategies and maximize revenue.

ATPCO says the deal with SITA came after both companies agreed it was “time to optimize industry investments and consolidate systems.”

“Providing value and efficiency to the industry sits at the core of what we do. After a lengthy review, we feel this deal will be a big win for airlines in a time where they need our support the most. We are already the home for fare distribution, and Architect is well positioned to serve the airlines’ needs moving forward,” says Alex Zoghlin, CEO of ATPCO.

“Industry consolidation and simplification is in the best interest of all, and this was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

Earlier this month, in his first interview with PhocusWire as CEO of ATPCO, Zoghlin spoke more about the need for, and inevitability of, industry consolidation.

Along with working together to integrate AFI into Architect, the deal also calls for the two companies to collaborate through 2021 to use their expertise in pricing tools to assist the air industry.

“For the last few years we have focused on simplifying our portfolio to deliver more value for customers and this deal represents the latest step in that journey,” says Barbara Dalibard, CEO of SITA.

“Being at the heart of the air transport community, SITA has been committed to working with customers throughout the pandemic to keep operations running and offer solutions that respect the challenging economic environment. By consolidating the expertise and market reach of both companies in the fares management space, this move will be highly beneficial to SITA AFI employees, customers and the airline industry as a whole.”