KUALA LUMPUR (May 4): Malaysia Airlines Bhd is collaborating with global travel technology leader Amadeus IT Group SA to develop a new passenger service system (PSS) for the airline.

In a statement today, Malaysia Airlines said certain solutions by Amadeus, such as the Altéa Suite, will be a quantum leap forward for the airline and set the benchmark for the traveller of the future.

Altéa Suite is a system that delivers streamlined passenger service solutions including inventory, reservations, passenger self-service check-in, departure control and e-commerce.

Another solution that Amadeus provides is the New Skies Reservation System that is designed to suit the needs of low-cost and hybrid carriers, said Malaysia Airlines.

New Skies has been in operation at FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd since 2007.

"Malaysia Airlines will be able to offer travellers enhanced speed and convenience, a sophisticated web booking experience, state of the art mobile applications and bundled offers to suit individual needs," it said.

"Passengers can expect a leaner, more agile experience, from booking tickets to pre-purchasing excess baggage, meals and managing loyalty points, all at the click of a button," Malaysia Airlines added.

Malaysia Airlines said the agreement will also ensure it has even greater cooperation with its codeshare partners and within the OneWorld Alliance, enabling a streamlined customer experience between member airlines.

With this technology, Malaysia Airlines said it could reinvent itself and be well-equipped to embrace the complex and dynamic conditions in this ever-changing global airline market.

Its group chief executive officer Christoph Mueller said moving Malaysia Airlines current PSS to Amadeus will truly put the national carrier at the leading edge of airline technology globally.

Meanwhile, Amadeus's airline commercial, Amadeus Asia Pacific executive vice president Hazem Hussein said the group is pleased to be selected by Malaysia Airlines to help the airline optimise its operations and revolutionise customer experience.

"By choosing Altéa, Malaysia Airlines will join a strong group of more than 120 forward-thinking airlines that understand the necessity of flexibility and customer centricity that our technology is able to bring to its operations," he said.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2016.