Nowadays, it has become normal for passengers to experience frequent flight delays and cancellations. And it is true that complaints and dissatisfactions launched by passengers have somehow undermined the core competitiveness of the aviation industry. However, this in contrary makes the prospect of civil aviation information services which have been relatively inactive seem much more lucrative and promising. Beijing Business Today reporter learned on June 3 that China TravelSky Holding Company (TravelSky) released its first flight information service software - Umetrip, which is the first application going directly to the customers rather than through the agents and also the first official civil aviation information system in China.

When talking about the reasons for releasing Umetrip, the relevant executive of TravelSky expressed that many people are unwilling to travel by planes nowadays, especially in Beijing, due to various reasons such as their frequent coming across flight delays, cancellations and their missing flights for personal issues. There are also many business travelers who might have to be on leave several times each week but are still unable to figure out which airline they are going to travel with or what time their flights will take off. Therefore, TravelSky has decided to provide passengers with full-course travelling information under consideration of the above-mentioned elements.

Bo Manhui, Director of Mobile Affairs Special Team and Assistant to Manager of the Marketing Department of TravelSky, explained the software in detail. Umetrip is available for both IOS and Android devices. Its main functions include mobile phone check-in, genuine and fake tickets identifying, priority seat selection, and thorough travelling records storage. The software can provide up-to-the-minute live information about flights, routes, boarding gates, and food. Regarding to Umetrip, TravelSky even spoke harshly that it intends to solve all the air travel problems by releasing such an application. This definition seems to be challenging VeryZhun and Flight Manager since these softwares are both presented by privately run companies and mainly provide flight information.

As the sole central enterprise under State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) to be engaged in information services and also the largest provider of GDS in China, TravelSky has always been called as the nerve center of the domestic civil aviation industry. Right now, over 5,000 ticket agencies and all airlines except Spring Airlines are using TravelSky's platform for selling tickets. However, TravelSky provides information services to customers directly by launching the Umetrip application, rather than through others' hands. It is believed by insiders that the blue sea of the industry of civil aviation information services will soon become a battlefield of intense competition because of the entry of this predator. The current industry structure which relies mainly on private enterprises will witness further changes.

TravelSky is breaking in full fury and people have noticed that mobile internet industry is a great gold mine. The civil aviation information services market is in a state of complete blank. However, the entry of giant TravelSky into this market is not going to change the market model, said a private enterprise executive, who asked to remain anonymous. "I think that many services presented by the Umetrip of TravelSky are born to be deficient. For example, a great deal of information to be provided may invade customers' privacy, and it will also exercise influences on the interest of multiple parties in the chain of tickets sales. Right now, airlines and large ticket agencies are also coveting the information services field after the sales of tickets, and there is no way that they are willing to let Travel Sky Holding swallow this market cake exclusively," the executive expressed.

Meanwhile, the above-mentioned executive also pointed out that it is very difficult for TravelSky to carry out its ticket sales business through Umetrip because it will come into conflicts with and compete with TravelSky's customer airlines and ticket agencies. It is quite possible that this will restrict the future development of Umetrip.

"In fact, there is a common problem that either TravelSky or private enterprises has to face when they decide to enter into the field of mobile information services. That is an issue of how to build a health business model. The mobile internet is a new born business. For anyone who attempts to get involved into this, the most important issue is not seizing the opportunity, but how to make profits. Even though the ensuing services such as hotels, cabs etc may become points of making profits, in short, the profit model is still unclear and not obvious. The enterprises still have to wade across the stream by feeling the way," CARNOC CEO Zheng Hongfeng pointed out.