ARINC- and SITA-Led Work Group Sets New Vision for XML-Based Communications in the Air Transport Industry

ARINC Incorporated and SITA today released a detailed set of
standards and specifications to enable the adoption of efficient,
XML-based business-to-business messaging in the Air Transport Industry
(ATI). The standards define a new messaging approach -- Type X --
making use of XML and Web Services technology to complement existing
industry Type B messaging.

ARINC and SITA operate extensive global networks carrying an
estimated 40 million Type B messages daily for airline reservations,
passenger check-ins, baggage handling, and data communication between
airlines, global distribution systems, ground handlers, and other
travel service providers. The underlying IATA standard spans both
legacy and Internet Protocol (IP) communications, and today's modern
communications may still use Type B message formats, but Type X will
enable more cost efficient IT environments and flexible
communications.

The standards and specifications ratified this week represent more
than a year of development by a blue-ribbon industry work group
including Amadeus, British Airways, Galileo, Lufthansa Systems,
Mercator, Northwest Airlines, Sabre, and Worldspan.

The group has worked closely with the IATA XML Task Force, OASIS,
and the OpenTravel Alliance to develop an open standards-based
specification, complementary to the efforts of these groups.

"The industry is in the midst of significant transition and under
tremendous pressure to lower costs," said Michael McShea, Senior
Director of Global Product Management for ARINC Network Solutions.
"Web Services and XML-based messaging stand to improve collaboration
dramatically in the industry, while lowering application development
and maintenance costs for business-to-business integration, and
increasing use of the Internet."

Mansour Rezaei-Mazinani, Head of Network Services Engineering at
SITA, stated "Transitioning to XML will pave the way for changes being
driven by the industry-wide implementation of applications such as
e-ticketing and new security requirements for passenger processing,
while enabling significant benefits delivered by the use of XML
technologies. These include driving down spending on development and
maintenance, reducing costs related to legacy platforms, and enabling
faster integration of applications."

The specifications were formally ratified by the Type X work group
earlier this week and will now be more broadly released to the
industry. By the end of year the Type X Work Group plans to sponsor
pilot projects to demonstrate real-life implementation of the Type X
standard. A White Paper has also been released by the companies,
showing how Type X can revolutionize the industry's business
communications, lower the cost of development, integration and
operations, and help meet the challenges of emerging applications.

The full ratified Type X specifications and White Paper are
available at the ARINC and SITA web sites and the Type X Work Group
web site at www.TypeX.aero.

For more information, visit the ARINC web site at www.arinc.com.