March 11, 2013, Orlando, FL – AirIT, the leading provider of innovative information technology products and services to the air transportation industry, today announces that William S. Swelbar, Research Engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) International Center for Air Transportation, will be the keynote speaker at AirIT’s 2013 Annual User Conference & Symposium held in Las Vegas, April 15-18.
At MIT, Mr. Swelbar is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program’s Airline Data Project (ADP), and the Airline Industry Research Consortium. The ADP represents a unique and comprehensive body of data that will enable a better understanding of the U.S. airline industry and its operating environment, including those factors that should be considered as the industry confronts consolidation, new competition, and renegotiated labor contracts.
Swelbar currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc. Over the past 20 years, he has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups in a consulting role.
“Bill is a much sought-after speaker with regard to the economics of commercial air transport and we are very excited to have him participate as a key element of our annual user conference,” said Betros Wakim, Chief Executive Officer of AirIT. “The ongoing efforts of the Airline Data Project that Bill and his team at MIT are engaged in underscore the importance of gathering and utilizing data intelligently, and parallel our own efforts at AirIT in providing comprehensive technology solutions to the airport industry in an effort to develop the intelligent airport of tomorrow.”
States Swelbar, “I am very excited to be a part of AirIT’s Annual User Conference; the company has a great message. Just because the industry has consolidated around four very large U.S. domestic carriers does not obviate the need for airlines to continue to control costs. The industry will only earn one cent on every dollar of revenue in 2012. That performance alone speaks loudly that the industry still must find ways to increase revenue and reduce costs in order to improve profitability to levels that ensure a sustainable business.”
He adds, “When one considers that the industry enplanes more than 700 million passengers per year, a penny here and a dime there can produce a demonstrable improvement in cost savings. Airports of tomorrow will invest in technology that results in marginal cost savings for its users. The airport of tomorrow will provide amenities and services that derive marginal revenue that in turn further reduces costs for its users. And the airport of tomorrow will be less a shrine, but rather an architecturally efficient structure that reduces a passengers’ time spent being processed. At the end of the day, what the airline sells is time saved. The airport industry should be selling the same thing.”
Mr. Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University, and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.
About Air-Transport IT Services, Inc.
Air-Transport IT Services, Inc. (AirIT) is an information technology firm based in Orlando, FL. The company’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions enable airports and airlines to better utilize and manage resources, enhance the passenger experience, reduce costs, and optimize revenue generation. Our airport operational, passenger processing, and revenue management platforms deliver enterprise-class business intelligence solutions and are the most innovative in the air transport marketplace. AirIT solutions are operational in 30 of the top 50 airports in North America, and as a testament to their scalability, these solutions are at home in another 100 airports and 60 airlines worldwide. For more information, please visit www.AirIT.com.
