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Santiago Albornoz uploaded the file: First developments of SITA in South America (English) to
wikisita SAM and Spanish speaking 8 years ago I find it interesting to look back and recall how SITA was first developed in this region of world. Thinking of my input in our company’s development, I can’t help but remember the opposition that we faced from the National Aeronautics Administrations and other agencies across various countries. Understanding how tough our challenges were, I find it important that close friends and strangers, as well as SITA professionals around the world, are able to recognize these Latin American lands “on the other side of the ocean”, which greatly differ from its European counterparts—especially Paris.
Your article shows many similarities between the South American and the Far Eastern environments as we were facing the same difficulties with the Telecoms Authorities when trying to expand SITA operations into new countries. SITA has been a pioneer in that field at a time when the PTTs or similar organisations were holding an absolute monopoly. In our case too an important factor for success has been the establishment of excellent relationship with the concerned parties.
Regarding your disappointment after just joining SITA, I had the same feeling. I had been technically in charge of the Regional Control Centre of Saigon which was, in terms of traffic within the French Civil Aviation Administration, second to Orly and all of a sudden I was in a small room maintaining a few transmitters inherited from WW2. Furthermore the SITA projects for which I had been recruited were falling apart: cancellation of the RTTY circuit Saigon/Tananarive project, failed take-over of the Civil Aviation Telecommunication Networks of Iran and the former French Indochina states. Even existing pieces of our network were disappearing: lost of Hanoi and other Nord Vietnam centres as well as of the domestic networks of Laos and South Vietnam. But that was not only true for SITA as Arinc was out of Japan and later of Okinawa while Aeradio was out of Burma and India. Only Cable & Wireless seemed able to stand firm at Hong Kong, so far. Such feeling was exasperated by the fact that with the end of WW2, the collapse of the colonial empires and the cold war, many well established companies, and behind them their staff, were leaving Asia. I had a choice either following them and returning to Europe as a Civil Servant or attempting to reverse the situation in order to expand the network. As you said the possibility of travelling while workng for SITA was tempting. Since I wanted to remain close to Civil Aviation and discover the world I opted for the second approach and decided to face the situation. Fortunately I succeeded in my aim, and this is why I have been working forty years for SITA.
Bernard Leroy