Airlines expect to cut their IT spending as a percentage of their overall revenues next year as the recession continues to bite. The decline in spending is despite airlines expanding their IT operations in growing areas such as social media, smartphone sales and passenger self-service.

At the SITA Air Transport IT Forum in Brussels this week delegates were told just 49% of airlines expected to increase IT spending in 2013. This decline compared to 66% of airlines planning to increase spending in 2011. The results of the annual SITA/Airline Business Airline IT Trends Survey were an indication that the airlines were still overseeing a struggling industry, while at the same time they were facing operational demands from passengers who wanted an increase in customer service through new sales channels.

Source: IDG