Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 11 - Athens-based Olympic Air has started its cargo operations with a software programme developed by IBS, a firm based here.

An IBS statement issued here Monday said their solution was implemented in record time which went live just before the commencement of the start-up airline's maiden flight.

The Greek airline has one of the youngest fleets in southeastern Europe comprising 32 aircraft and operates services to 37 domestic and 32 international destinations.

The programme, called iCargo, was developed four years back in collaboration with six leading airlines and is increasingly being viewed by several global airlines as a viable substitute to the expensive systems currently used.

At present, this product is being used by over 20 leading cargo carriers, including All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Nippon Cargo Airways, Qantas Freight, Kingfisher Airlines, S7 Cargo and SpiceJet.

Senior Vice President and Global Head of IBS Cargo Line of Business Akshay Shrivastava said IBS rose to the challenge and successfully completed the project one day before the first flight was to take off.

"These factors underscore the robustness and flexibility of the iCargo solution, and IBS responsiveness and ability to build, implement and support sophisticated solutions within scheduled time frames," said Shrivastava.

Olympic Airlines has opted for the Software as a Service (SaaS) mode of usage where the solution will be hosted from IBS' data centre in Ashburn, US.

Airlines all over the world are increasingly opting for SaaS or hosted models of IT solutions which work on a 'pay as you use' basis so that they are spared large upfront costs for using the software.

IBS, with four data centres around the world and a 24x7 global help desk, is a member of a select band of IT product companies that offers its solutions on a hosted basis. It is headquartered in the Technopark here.

"IBS has managed to understand our needs and implement their iCargo solution within the extremely demanding time frames that we were requiring. This proves they are a valued partner in our everyday operations. We are looking forward to a very prosperous cooperation with them," said Theodore Koronis, Cargo Manager of Olympic Air.  (IANS)