Industry Giant TravelSky Joins Open AXIS Group

TORONTO — May 24, 2011 — Open AXIS Group is pleased to welcome China’s TravelSky Technology Limited as its newest member. The Beijing-based company, the dominant provider of passenger reservation systems distribution and technology solutions for all major Chinese airlines, joins as an Allied Member and will have a seat on the board of directors. Both parties recognize the desire of airlines to find lower-cost distribution solutions than what the current systems provide.

“As this announcement demonstrates, a standardized XML schema as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity has worldwide interest,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group. “Airlines all over the world are looking to establish direct connects with distribution partners in the interest of lowering costs and extending traveler-authenticated shopping.”

Larry Liang, general manager of the Airline Business Department of TravelSky added, “Facilitating low-cost distribution and increasing product differentiation of our shareholder airlines is one of our biggest goals. By contributing to the Open AXIS XML standard, we will be able to achieve that goal and establish direct connects between our member airlines and their selected distribution partners outside of China.”
Membership in Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard. Full Members have the right to actively engage in and vote on all matters put before the membership, including matters relating to enhancements and extensions to the Group's XML standard. Allied Members can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements. 

About TravelSky
TravelSky Technology Limited is the leading provider of information technology solutions for China's air travel and tourism industries. The Company has been devoted to developing leading edge applications and services that address the needs of a wide range of industry participants - ranging from airlines, airports and air travel suppliers to travel agencies, corporate travel consumers, air travel consumers and cargo shippers - to conduct electronic transactions and manage travel-related information. In 2010 TravelSky processed approximately 292 million flight bookings on Chinese and international airlines.
TravelSky is owned by and operated for the benefits of all major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines among others.

About the Open AXIS Group 
Open AXIS Group is a member-based, not-for-profit organization founded by North America’s largest airlines and ATPCO. Its primary goal is maintenance, advocacy and promotion of Distribution 2.0, a technology and distribution practice standard that utilizes eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for airline system connectivity used in full-content distribution.
Open AXIS Group’s founding airline members are Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways. ATPCO is a founding Allied Member.
Follow Open AXIS Group on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn.  Find out more, become a member, or register and download the Open AXIS Group’s schema and white papers at www.openAXISgroup.org.

Contact:
Jim Young
Executive Director
Open AXIS Group
jyoung@openAXISgroup.org
416-479-4079

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