Technology developer SITA has rolled out cloud-based technology to Costa Cruises to reduce the impact of disruption for fly and cruise guests.

The Italian operator, which is part of the Carnival group of cruise lines, will use the solution to mitigate the cost of delays and cancellations and improve the guest experience.

The SITA technology provides accurate flight updates for the line’s operations team covering both scheduled and charter services.

Updates provided by SITA Flight Monitoring will enable Costa Cruises’ Operations Control Centre (OCC) to handle the embarkation and disembarkation process for guests more efficiently, as well as improve planning for crew movements and allocations.

Massimo Callegari, director guest and corporate travel service at Costa Cruises, said: “At Costa, it was imperative to find a supplier that could offer accurate and timely flight updates through a cloud-based solution featuring a user-friendly interface and direct integration with the charter airlines.

“Significant operational challenges are shared between cruise companies and airlines, and, with its strong footprint in the air transport industry, SITA clearly understands how they could help us enhance the management of our Fly & Cruise operations.”

In the event of a cancelled or delayed flight, the continuously refreshed data is crucial for arranging guest transfers to the next port of call, minimising costs, avoiding inefficiencies, and guest experience.

Costa said disembarking guests at the right moment “enables them to continue enjoying their time onboard the ship while allowing Costa Cruises to optimise airport transfers”.

The application uses SITA Flight Global APIs and offers direct integration with the airlines to benefit from real-time updates.

Sergio Colella, president for Europe at SITA, said: “The world of travel is becoming increasingly intermodal. Essential for the success of this model is guaranteeing smooth connections among the different modes of transport.

“This presents a significant challenge that we comprehend thoroughly, as we have traditionally acted as the unseen orchestrator for the air transport industry, ensuring collaboration among multiple stakeholders to enable efficient operations.”