"Technology is not the barrier, but daring to make the decision": Maximiliano Vicini, Hitit, on the modernization of airlines in the region
Maximiliano Vicini, Head of Business Development for the Americas at Hitit, detailed at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum how the company is helping airlines overcome the cultural barrier of modernization, stating that "technology is not the barrier, but the decision."
/https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2025/10/maximiliano_vicini_head_of_business_development_americas_hitit.jpg)
The ALTA Airline Leaders Forum, held last week in Lima, not only served as the key meeting point for commercial aviation leaders in the Americas, but also as the stage where strategic technology partners reaffirmed their presence in the region.
In this context, Hitit, the Turkish based multinational Airline and Travel IT Solutions provider , highlighted its growing role as a key facilitator for the modernization and expansion of the continent's air carriers.
Maximiliano Vicini, Head of Business Development for the Americas at Hitit, explained in an interview with Aviacionline the importance of their participation as event sponsors, seeing it as an essential platform for dialogue and collaboration.
"It is always a good space to dialogue with all the aviation leaders from all of the Americas, especially Latin America and the Caribbean," Vicini affirmed.
For Hitit, the forum transcends networking; it is a mission to "drive the development of aviation throughout the Americas."
Vicini emphasized that the company's role is to be an active "technology partner" that contributes directly to its clients' growth.
"We seek to make it known that we have the technology to help all airlines continue to grow and, above all, improve processes, optimize their operations, [and] increase revenue," he noted.
"That is also our contribution to the development of aviation in the region."
A look at the market: cooperation in times of consolidation
When analyzing the current industry landscape in Latin America, Vicini described a market that is in "full consolidation, let's say, with large groups that are leaders today."
However, far from seeing this as a closed market, he highlighted a predominant trend at the forum: cooperation.
"Here, one of the conversations main topic is around cooperation," he explained. "That is where we, with that spirit we also have of cooperating and contributing, is where we try, with our solutions, to build bridges for that integration through new technologies."
Vicini insisted that, despite the presence of these big players, the region's potential is far from been drained .
"There is always, of course, a huge potential for aviation development. I believe [that] in every market in the region there is opportunity, there is room for new projects."
Part of this opportunity lies in the need for smaller airlines to connect to the global ecosystem.
"There is also a great need for the, let's say, small companies to make, of course, interline agreements with the big players. And well, that's what it's about, right? And we are there to facilitate all that integration through technology."
"Hitit Oxygen": the definitive leap to "Offer and Order"
The company's central announcement was the presentation of "Hitit Oxygen," its new-generation Airline Retailing platform.
Vicini described it as "the new step we are taking towards a native and operational Offer and Order Management system."
This marks a crucial evolution beyond NDC (New Distribution Capability) connectivity, which the company had already successfully implemented.
"We had already taken the step with NDC at the time... with real NDC connectivity for several of our clients," Vicini contextualized.
Now, "Oxygen" represents the complete materialization of the airline retailing concept.
"Hitit Oxygen is today the largest native Offer and Order Management platform already implemented," he affirmed, citing the success case of Pegasus Airlines.
The implementation at Pegasus demonstrates the power of the new architecture.
"This allows Pegasus Airlines today to distribute not only its flights but also more than 24 ancillary services through the Offer and Order protocol," he detailed.
Furthermore, it was implemented with an "omnichannel approach," working across all sales channels.
The results are tangible: Pegasus "projects to process nearly 12 million passengers next year through Offer and Order."
Hitit's goal, according to Vicini, is "to be able to implement Offer and Order in a, let's say, simple way in any airline that requires it and is ready to take this big step."
The Challenge: a change of "mindset" rather than technology
One of the perceived barriers to adopting such transformative technologies is the idea that they are only accessible to large airlines or low-cost models.
Vicini emphatically denied this.
"No," he replied. "What is very important is that the airline has the strategic decision. It is not an, let's say, easy decision."
The real challenge, according to the executive, is not the software, but the organizational culture.
"This entails a challenge... which is a, let's say, mindset and cultural change in air carriers, especially in those that perhaps see Offer and Order as something distant. But it is something that is within everyone's reach today with Hitit Oxygen."
This change also implies an evaluation of the entire sales ecosystem.
"This is a commitment from the entire ecosystem, right?" Vicini reflected.
The airline must "evaluate if that ecosystem is prepared to integrate with a platform like this and be able to offer all non-air services."
This includes "hotels, car rentals, transfers, activities, and other services."
While Hitit "is prepared to obviously integrate with any external provider," Vicini acknowledged a regional challenge: "We know that in the region, the challenge of connectivity with local providers who may not be prepared sometimes arises."
Nonetheless, he reiterated his main point: "I believe that today technology is not the barrier, but daring to make the decision and perhaps also a change of mindset... of cultural mentality perhaps in the company."
Hitit's growing footprint in the Americas
The launch of "Oxygen" is based on an already robust presence on the continent.
"Today we have a consolidated network of partners, uh, from Canada to South America," Vicini said.
The "projections for next year are optimistic," not only for its well-known PSS (Passenger Service System), but for its entire product portfolio.
Vicini highlighted the company's diversification: "Not only in what is the PSS, but also in other solutions, like our operational suite, let's say, schedule planning, operations control, and crew planning... the cost accounting solutions and also tracking and monitoring of carbon emissions... revenue accounting, air cargo, Loyalty, Distribution, and Hitit Oxygen of course."
This breadth is the key to its value proposition. "Hitit has a diversified offer, it has flexibility and scalability that it can offer to every airline," he affirmed.
He stressed that many of these solutions are standalone, meaning, "they can be implemented in any type of airline integrated with any existing system."
This growth has consolidated Hitit as a global force. "We are already a recognized brand," Vicini concluded.
"We have been a public company since 2022... today we have more than 72 partner airlines in 50 countries... We have already held a place for quite some time as the third-largest PSS provider in the world."
A recent recognition highlights their specific impact in the region: "In 2024, we were recognized as the preferred company by startup airlines in the Caribbean and Latin America. So well, that marks our positioning today in the industry globally and, above all, in the Americas."
Para comentar, debés estar registradoPor favor, iniciá sesión