Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Etihad inks partnership deal with SAP

UAE's national airline Etihad Airways said it has signed up SAP, a market leader in enterprise application software, as a strategic technology partner for deployment of its range of key software solutions.

As per the deal, Etihad will be implementing the enterprise resource planning application SAP ERP together with a range of cloud-based products across its vital business functions, including human resources, finance, procurement and supply management and business intelligence.

"The partnership is key to helping Etihad Airways sustain and support its growth, while further modernising and scaling up the airline’s business functions," said James Hogan, Etihad president and chief executive officer, after signing the deal with Bill McDermott, the CEO and member of the SAP executive board at a ceremony held in New York (US).

The Abu Dhabi carrier will be deploying cloud solutions for some of its key business solutions, including talent management solutions from SuccessFactors, an SAP company, procurement and business-to-business collaboration from Ariba, an SAP company, and the SAP Hana platform for real-time business databases and applications.

Hogan said Etihad had experienced strong and sustained growth in its 11 year history. “This strategic partnership with SAP means we can implement the best business technology to grow with confidence and continue to provide outstanding service to our customers. This is about preparing our business for tomorrow,” he noted.

McDermott said SAP was proud to support a world-class operation like Etihad. "Few industries deal with as much sophistication and complexity as the airline industry. By selecting SAP, Etihad will be able to simplify its core business processes and increase efficiency, flexibility and effectiveness across the organisation with a focus on the customer," he noted.

James Hogan and the Etihad Airways management team have a bold vision for aviation and innovation.

“As part of this commitment to technology innovation Etihad Airways is establishing technology centres of excellence in the UAE, Europe and India, bringing world-class solutions and services to the Etihad Aviation Group,” said Hogan.

McDermott said the agreement shows SAP’s commitment to Etihad and the UAE in the company's shared goal of connecting east and west via Abu Dhabi’s rapidly growing aviation hub.

"We continue to invest in Abu Dhabi’s future and will leverage our training and development institute by building Emirati talent and skills to further support Abu Dhabi and its strategic growth," he added. -TradeArabia News Service