Air Malta Responds to Market Forces with Installation of Sabre Airline

Air Malta Responds to Market Forces with Installation of Sabre Airline Solutions' Revenue Management Suite

    Business Editors/Technology Editors/Travel Editors

    SOUTHLAKE, Texas & MALTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 2, 2005--European-based carrier Air Malta has announced a multi-year agreement with Sabre Airline Solutions, the global leader in airline operations technology, for a revenue management solution that will help the carrier effectively compete against the growing competition in the region.
    "Due to the increased competition, Air Malta is embracing revenue management as a way of improving its profitability while reducing costs," said Joe Cappello, chief operating officer of Air Malta. "Having enjoyed the benefits of other Sabre Airline Solutions technologies and, in particular, the SabreSonic solutions, we are confident that the revenue management solution will provide us with a real competitive advantage in the marketplace.
    "The bundling of systems and consulting services, aimed at achieving a quick assimilation of the technology solutions into our business environment by aligning our business processes with industry best practices, will deliver positive results from the early stage of systems implementation."
    The new solutions will be delivered through Sabre eMergo Web access, an application service provider delivery platform, which will deliver Air Malta significant cost reductions and efficiency improvements through an externally hosted solution. By leveraging the ASP delivery option, Air Malta will be able to access advanced functionality without the initial implementation costs of an onsite implementation.
    Products included in the revenue management solution for Air Malta include:

--	Sabre AirMax Revenue Manager, an automated revenue management system offering three levels of inventory controls.
--	Sabre AirMax Group Manager, a system designed to help revenue management and reservations agents effectively control group traffic by utilizing historical and current traffic data.
--	Sabre AirMax Low Fares Manager, the industry's first revenue management solution designed for the low-cost airline market.

    "Air Malta's decision to deploy revenue management as a way of reducing costs and enhancing revenue follows the trend within Europe," said Murray Smyth, Sabre Airline Solutions vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "As carriers increasingly compete in a slow-growth market, Air Malta joins an increasing number of airlines that are benefiting from the cost savings provided by Revenue Manager including European carriers such as Cyprus Airways, Alitalia, bmi, Estonian Air and Air France."

    About Air Malta

    Air Malta is Malta's National Airline. The airline offers customers a selection of around 45 scheduled destinations to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Air Malta has a fleet of 13 Airbus and Boeing aircraft configured in business and economy. Air Malta is in the middle of a four and a half year aircraft fleet replacement project. By the year 2008, the airline's fleet will be replaced with 12 new state-of-the-art Airbus planes from the A320 and A319 aircraft family. By that time the average age of the fleet will go down to 2.7 years.

    About Sabre Airline Solutions

    Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world's largest provider of software products; reservations, departure control systems and other passenger management systems; and consulting services that help airlines simplify operations and lower costs. Sabre Airline Solutions' proven leadership is demonstrated by the growing number of airlines that leverage the technology and services: More than 200 airlines worldwide use Sabre Airline Solutions' broad portfolio of smart solutions for decision-support tools to increase revenues and improve operations. More than 500 contracts worldwide were signed in 2004 for Sabre Airline Solutions' leading technology solutions. More than 100 airlines worldwide rely on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, with eight new carriers choosing SabreSonic, the first new generation reservations system offered in the market, in 2004 and six carrier renewals. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to the Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial and operational consulting.
    Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
    Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo, SabreSonic, Sabre eMergo, Sabre AirMax are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corp. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. (C) 2005 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved.

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CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252 kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com or Air Malta Stephen Gauci, +356 2299228 pr@airmalta.com.mt

KEYWORD: TEXAS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE TRAVEL AIRLINES TRANSPORTATION SOFTWARE PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions

Copyright Business Wire 2005