SABRE Corp. releases insights how airline networks are adapting for travel industry recovery

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY -- Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading Singapore-based software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, has released on July 13 its insights that outline pioneering methodologies to enable its airline partners create more holistic, accurate network plans as their focus shifts from short-term planning to long-term travel industry recovery.

These insights investigated the challenges and the technological advancements that can help to overcome them in its new whitepaper: “The Art & Science of Network Planning to Ramp up for Recovery.”

According to Cem Tanyel, Chief Services Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions that from an aviation perspective, the latter half of 2021 is the time to change the outlook from crisis mode with a focus only on the immediate term to again taking on a more strategic view; analyzing market and fleet adjustments for the seasons and years to come.

“However, shifting from a purely short-term scheduling focus back to a full timeline network planning view will not be easy in the current environment.  In addition to difficulties caused by reduced passenger numbers and revenue, and resulting reductions in crew for some airlines, there are additional challenges given that the data airline managers could previously rely on to estimate future demand beyond the next few weeks is no longer reliable,” Tanyel said.

Sabre’s whitepaper takes a more holistic view of Airline Network Planning at a time when it is not possible to rely on previous years’ data alone.  

The new methods can leverage its GDS shopping data in conjunction with historical Global Demand Data and Industry capacity data to predict demand in a manner that works effectively even when prior year results become less representative.

Using these new approaches, Sabre has developed alternative 2021 schedules and demand estimations that are more reflective of what is likely to occur and based on latest industry data that can help airline managers in their decision-making process.

The whitepaper said that airlines need to place a deeper focus on segmentation in both the leisure and business segments as the travel industry move further into 2021.  The destinations and segments that are seeing above average capacity rebound.

“Often it is said that necessity is the mother of invention. This pandemic has driven innovation to an NPS process that has been quite static over the prior decades. Quantitative network planning approaches being developed that leverage technical advances were already under way before Covid-19 but have now become more important to advance,” Tanyel stated.

A more complete, innovative process that incorporates segmentation analysis, shopping data and more robust industry schedule outlooks will be the outcome, Tanyel, who heads professional services, service delivery, consulting and support in his role at Sabre added. (Photos: Google Images)