Virgin Atlantic awards major consultancy deal to Mercator

Britain’s high-profile Virgin Atlantic Airways has selected Mercator, the Dubai-based IT division of the Emirates Group, to provide the implementation consultancy needed to complete one of the biggest IT projects in its history.

Mercator will offer Virgin Atlantic the consulting services essential to its rollout of Oracle’s E-Business Suite, laying solid foundations for its future growth.

The powerful Oracle suite of applications centralises and streamlines core airline business functions. Mercator will implement all the key modules, including finance, human resources, procurement, recruitment, and payroll.

Virgin Atlantic managers expect Oracle to give them an overview of their entire organisation, greatly simplifying decision-making and bringing down costs. Employees will have quick and easy access to critical applications via the Web.

Simon Fox, Director IT at Virgin, said: “This is crucial to the continued success of our already highly successful business. We regard seamless and streamlined business processes across the entire company as an absolute must.

“Mercator consultants give us the confidence to complete this project. Their unrivalled airline IT expertise, and their impressive track record with Oracle roll-outs, make them the natural choice for the contract.”

Since it was founded in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways has become Britain’s second largest long haul carrier serving the world’s major cities. Now based at both London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports, it operates long haul services to twenty destinations world-wide as far apart as Las Vegas and Shanghai. 

Virgin Atlantic currently has a fleet of 26 aircraft which includes twelve 747s, ten A340-300s and four A340-600s.

Mercator’s consulting professionals have extensive airline industry knowledge. Its specialist project managers have implemented Oracle at Emirates, SriLankan and Air Malta, and this work is now bringing them major benefits.

Hugh Pride, Director IT at Mercator, said, “We’re rapidly gaining a reputation in the industry for professional high-quality Oracle consultancy services.

“Our work at Virgin Atlantic is no exception. Our consultants always give value for money, and deliver results under the most challenging conditions, on budget and on schedule.”

Virgin Atlantic joins the ever-expanding Mercator family of customers which includes Air Algérie, Air Malawi, Air Malta, Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways, Emirates, Kenya Airways, Olympic Airways, Qantas, Philippine Airlines, Royal Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Brunei, Singapore Airlines Cargo, SriLankan, TACA, Varig and Yemenia.