SITA Boosts Airline Operations with Acquisition of Big Blue Analytics for AI-Driven Disruption Management, ETTravelWorld

SITA has acquired Big Blue Analytics, the company behind OCC Assistant Manager (OCCam), an AI-enabled disruption optimisation platform designed to help airlines manage operational disruptions more effectively. The acquisition forms part of SITA’s broader strategy to develop an Intelligent Operations Control Center that integrates planning, monitoring and recovery functions into a single operational framework.

Airline disruptions remain one of the industry’s most significant operational and financial challenges, costing carriers billions of dollars annually. OCCam has been developed and refined within live airline environments to address this issue by evaluating multiple operational constraints simultaneously, including aircraft availability, crew scheduling, passenger itineraries and maintenance requirements.

Unlike traditional disruption management systems that address operational issues sequentially, OCCam generates integrated recovery plans that consider all key operational variables together. The platform provides ranked recovery options, enabling airlines to assess cost implications, operational performance, passenger impact and regulatory compliance before implementing decisions.

According to SITA, airlines using OCCam have achieved disruption cost reductions of up to 30 per cent. For a mid-sized airline operating more than 100 aircraft, disruption costs can range between USD 70 million and USD 80 million annually, making operational recovery optimisation a significant area for cost savings.

The platform also enables airlines to measure the impact of operational decisions by tracking outcomes and quantifying savings, allowing operators to evaluate performance and demonstrate return on investment.

David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, said, “Airlines have traditionally treated disruption as a fixed cost of doing business, but there is a clear opportunity to approach it differently. In an increasingly volatile and fast-moving environment, the ability to recover with the same agility becomes critical. The airlines that act on this first will recover faster, fly more, and protect more revenue than those that wait, and AI-enabled tools like OCCam are making that possible.”

SITA currently supports more than 100 airline Operations Control Centers globally through solutions such as SITA Mission Watch and has previously expanded AI-based operational tools through the rollout of SITA OptiFlight.

The acquisition also strengthens SITA’s ongoing investment in artificial intelligence, including large language models and agent-based systems. The company plans to build on OCCam’s optimisation capabilities to develop tools that can predict disruptions earlier, automate routine recovery processes and simplify operational decision-making.

Yann Cabaret, CEO, SITA for Aircraft, said, “This is the first step towards a much bigger Intelligent Operations Control Center vision, one where planning, monitoring, and recovery come together in a single system. AI allows us to handle multiple constraints at once and tailor decisions to each airline in a way that was not possible before.”