When a flight is delayed, the disruption rarely ends with a change on the departure board. A single delay can ripple through the entire airport operation - gates remain occupied, ground crews stand idle, flight crews exceed duty limits, and passengers miss onward connections. The result is higher costs, operational strain, and reputational risks for airlines and airports alike, DKNews.kz reports.
On February 10, 2026, in Geneva, SITA introduced a new solution designed to tackle this issue at its source. The Advance Flight Delay Notification API provides airports and airlines with earlier visibility into potential schedule deviations, allowing them to act before disruptions escalate.
Late Information Comes at a High Price
Global aviation is operating under growing pressure. Passenger volumes continue to rise while operational buffers shrink. In this environment, the lack of timely information can be as damaging as the delay itself.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), air traffic management-related disruptions in Europe have cost airlines and passengers €16.1 billion over the past decade. A significant portion of those losses stems not from the delays themselves, but from the absence of early data needed to adjust plans, reallocate resources, and protect subsequent flights.
How the System Works
The Advance Flight Delay Notification API combines real-time departure data with business logic based on expected flight duration. If a departure is projected to deviate by more than 15 minutes from its original schedule, the system automatically sends early alerts to the destination airport.
These real-time push notifications give operational teams additional time to adapt. Airports can reassign gates, adjust crew schedules, optimize aircraft turnaround, and manage connecting passengers more effectively - reducing the secondary impacts that often cause widespread disruption.
“The Problem Isn’t the Delay - It’s the Timing of the Information”
Martin Smillie, SITA’s Senior Vice President for Communications and Data Exchange, explained the shift in approach:
“Most operational problems arise not from the delay itself, but from the fact that information about it reaches the responsible teams too late. Many airports are still forced to react after the fact rather than prevent issues in advance. The Advance Flight Delay Notification API changes that approach by delivering early, reliable signals that allow decisions to be made proactively, not under pressure. As a result, passenger impact is reduced, costs are lowered, and airline network resilience improves.”
Reducing Idle Time and Operational Stress
The solution provides centralized alerts to key stakeholders at destination airports, including ground handling teams, operational controllers, and crew coordinators. By receiving advance notice of potential inbound disruptions, teams can avoid unnecessary downtime, last-minute reshuffling, and additional strain on already limited operational capacity.
The API operates via secure, encrypted HTTP connections and eliminates the need for constant manual schedule checks. Notifications are triggered automatically when delays are forecasted beyond the 15-minute threshold.
Moving from Reaction to Prevention
Offered on a subscription basis, the Advance Flight Delay Notification API is part of SITA’s broader Flight Information APIs portfolio. It enables airlines and airports to exchange accurate operational data securely and in real time across the aviation ecosystem.
In an industry where every minute matters, early information is becoming the most valuable asset. With this new API, SITA aims to help the aviation sector move from reacting to disruption toward anticipating and managing it before it spreads.
