Kuwait Airways announces strategic partnership with Amadeus to transform its business processes ‘Transformation Strategy’ continues with technology, consulting from Amadeus

Innovative. Modern. Unique. Ambitious. These are some of the characteristics that Kuwait Airways is embracing as part of the national carrier’s five-year ‘Transformation Plan’. Under the stewardship of Chairperson and CEO, Rasha Al-Roumi, the Middle East’s first female airline CEO, Kuwait Airways has undertaken to implement a bold new strategy designed to revive the airline’s once pioneering legacy in regional aviation, with clear infrastructural changes and new technologies that will see it become the preferred airline linking Kuwait to the world, by 2021.

This transformation process was announced in September this year, followed by the launch of the new livery and branding in October. While the rebranding represents a clear visual change, Kuwait Airways’ management is keen to stress that the transformation is not just “cosmetic”. With the help of the technology and business processes offered by Amadeus, Kuwait Airways is completely transforming its approach to business, in an effort to double its growth over the next five years.

It is to this end that, today, the airline is announcing its adoption of a complete suite of Altea solutions including Revenue Management, e-Commerce, Loyalty Programs, Inventory, Reservation, Departure Control, Payments, as well as Mobile and Travel Intelligence. This extensive portfolio will help the airline create more personalized travel experiences and adapt its offering to customer demand and preferences - in real-time.

Unique to the implementation of this project, Amadeus will be working throughout the Altea implementation, to support Kuwait Airways with best practices and new business procedures, and to help ensure a cost-effective and timely upgrade from the existing (legacy) system.

In order to keep pace with the exponential growth of the aviation industry across the Gulf Region, Kuwait Airways’ comprehensive overhaul of many of its business processes will see the airline working its way back to being the dominant carrier in its home market with opportunities for further expansion in the years to come.

“Kuwait Airways is currently undergoing a wide-reaching program of change and this comprehensive transformation process must be driven by the mission to reassert our pioneering legacy in the region’s aviation industry. By working with Amadeus we are not just appointing a technology partner, we are working alongside a trusted provider with long-standing experience and expertise in the airline business. We are confident that the changes we are making will be the foundation blocks for Kuwait Airways’ success in the near and long-term future,” said Rasha Al-Roumi, Chairperson and CEO of Kuwait Airways.

“With this partnership with Kuwait Airways, Amadeus is starting a new chapter not just as a technology provider, but as a business consultant as well. In addition to providing some of the best technology on the market, we want to help airlines reach their best results by sharing the experience and knowledge we’ve acquired through our 30 years in the airline business,” said Maher Koubaa, Vice President, Head of Airline Group, Middle East and Africa at Amadeus. The implementation of the new business processes is estimated to be a six month project, with the ‘cut over’ planned at the beginning of Q2 2017.