SITA and Orange Business Services stretch the bounds of edge connectivity and lead the way with shared SDN at airports

Leveraging Orange Business Services’ Flexible SD-WAN portfolio, SITA Connect SDN allows multiple airlines, ground handlers, and other tenants to access the same virtualized infrastructure in the cloud, delivering more scalable and agile connectivity. This drives greater cost efficiencies and supports the airline industry’s drive to migrate applications to the cloud.

Unique in its conception, SITA Connect SDN leverages the existing AirportHub, SITA’s pre-connected connectivity platform already deployed in almost 600 airports worldwide and available to airlines globally. Sydney International Airport, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and Zurich Airport are among the 60 airports that have already been upgraded to the ultra-fast SD-WAN network that is currently being rolled out to cover the vast majority of all airline destinations.

This solution’s agility and scalability also address unpredictable passenger and aircraft traffic volumes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in a cost-effective, more flexible way. Through SITA Connect SDN, SITA can provide on-demand bandwidth while optimizing costs by utilizing multiple transport technologies in an application-driven network, with real-time visibility and control over the network.

SITA Connect SDN further reduces the cost of running a global network environment by making dedicated hardware platforms redundant while leveraging internet connectivity. Capital expenditure is reduced by cutting down on expensive network hardware upgrades with technological advances largely confined to software upgrades.

David Lavorel, CEO SITA AT AIRPORTS & BORDERS, said: “SITA Connect SDN is a technological innovation, leveraging state-of-the-art, future proof technology to serve our industry needs. In addition to the cost-optimization and scalability that are so important to airlines in the current market, we expect with this new technology, airport and airline applications will move to the cloud en masse while increasing automation.”

Anne-Marie Thiollet, Vice President, Connectivity Solutions, Orange Business Services, said: “Through our long-standing partnership with SITA, we have delivered technologies and innovation to the air transport industry since 2001. When we started this project at the end of 2019, we could not imagine just how critical flexibility and connectivity would become in the industry. We are confident that this evolution – leveraging the full potential of SDN technologies – has come at the right time.”