SITA collaborates with easyJet to launch ground crew app

Image courtesy SITA

The collaboration began with a simple challenge: to create more flexibility that reduces the cost of using airport infrastructure, all while improving the passenger experience. Over 12 months of innovation and cooperation, SITA and easyJet trialed the app at Gatwick and across four other UK airports, proving its potential to reshape ground operations. Following that success, the airline plans to roll the solution out across key airports in its entire network of 150+ airports in Europe.

The results have been striking. More than 1,000 ground crew members were enrolled during the trial, printing over 40,000 boarding passes, checking in more than 30,000 passengers, and boarding more than 5 million travelers. At London Gatwick alone, ground crew boarded over 1.4 million passengers and issued 17,000 boarding passes in just eight months. All of this has become much more agile thanks to the removal of physical constraints, as ground crew are no longer tied to fixed desks and are not limited by the number or location of the desks. The app has significantly streamlined training for new staff and can be a strong resiliency tool for maintaining airport operations.

Simon Cox, Director of Ground Operations at easyJet, said: “The SITA Agent App gives our ground operational teams the freedom to assist customers on the spot helping reducing queues, speeding up check-in, and delivering a more personal, efficient experience. It’s not just a technology upgrade.  

"The app is a strong example of how we are driving innovation putting both ground crew and customers at the heart of everything we do, and aligning with our vision of a modern, customer-centric airport and allowing us to rethink how we use space and resources at the airport.”

The app equips ground crew with mobile devices that connect directly to flexible, mobile check-in, boarding, and bag-tagging systems. This shift away from fixed counters reduces infrastructure costs, simplifies training, and makes better use of airport space.

Collaboration is key when trying to find new ways to improve operations across the industry,” added Nathalie Altwegg, SVP of Airports at SITA. “By innovating with easyJet, we’ve delivered a mobile solution that fast track these improvements and are a clear example of the power of working together. The SITA Agent App brings agility and efficiency to ground operations while giving passengers the faster, more personal service they expect. It’s a blueprint for how the industry can transform.”

By partnering together, SITA has created a powerful new model for airport operations, one that combines mobility, simplicity and innovation to deliver measurable results for both passengers and airlines.