Lufthansa Systems is here (Stand A220) promoting its software programs for airline operations such as scheduling, crew management, flight planning, and weight and balance. The Middle East region currently accounts for 10 percent of the company’s sales, a proportion that is increasing, Stefan Auerbach, senior v-p for Europe, Middle East and Africa sales told AIN. A sales announcement is expected here tomorrow.

According to Auerbach, the company holds the top position for operational solutions in the region. “Network management, scheduling and crew planning are especially important to the region’s existing and emerging mega-carriers,” he said. For example, he said, with a 35-percent market share, Lufthansa Systems’ Lido/Flight is the leading flight planning provider in the Middle East.

Lido/Flight also is the most accurate route optimizer, he said, which can afford operators a fuels savings of up to 5 percent. “This number is the result of hundreds of benchmarks,” he explained. LidoFlight can help an airline manage a huge and growing fleet, he added. Auerbach hopes current customers will buy add-ons and eventually use his company’s integrated operations control center, which is the designation for the complete software suite.

Lufthansa Systems’ recent sales include one to low-cost carrier Flydubai, which is the latest operator in the Middle East to have opted for Lido/RouteManual. Egypt Air and Royal Jordanian are Lufthansa Systems’ customers for its Sirax AirFinance Platform, which enables airlines to assess “virtually in real time” the profitability of a flight.

About 20 airlines in the region, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines, use Lufthansa Systems’ products.