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Northwest Airlines Purchases PASSUR Upgrades at all Hubs; Enhancements Provides up to a 25% Improvement in Estimated Times of Arrival (ETA’S) - A Significant Cost Savings to the Airline
Greenwich, CT, July 6, 2006 — Megadata Corporation (OTC: MDTA.OB) announced today that Northwest Airlines has purchased a subscription to the PASSUR® ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) feed (RightETA™) for each of its hub operations. Northwest currently subscribes to PASSUR FlightPerform™, real time flight status and airspace visualization software, at several hub locations and at their Systems Operations Center.
“We have tangible, quantifiable data that demonstrates that the PASSUR ETA improves several key Northwest operational and customer metrics,” said Jeffrey D. Hart, Director of Customer Service, Operations Control/MSP of Northwest Airlines. “Before PASSUR, we were using technology that was considered the most accurate method of ETA calculation; but with PASSUR, we realized significantly improved ETA’s translating into real savings. An accurate ETA is the lifeline of a hub operation, because it drives so many other systems and business processes. We have conducted a thorough analysis – with live operational implementation – to prove that the PASSUR ETA is a superior ETA, and that the benefits of the better ETA contribute to a more favorable financial position for Northwest.”
“Northwest Airlines, as a business partner, challenged us to meet their exacting standards to both thrill their customers with better arrival information and demonstrate that our system can improve their bottom-line,” said Jim Barry, Megadata’s President and CEO. “We’re pleased with the results and look forward to contributing to Northwest’s continued success.”
A significant study was completed by Northwest Airlines, comparing their old method of ETA calculation to the PASSUR ETA. In one part of the study, with a sample size of over 13,000 flights at Minneapolis airport, with 7718 flights measured before PASSUR implementation, and 6063 flights measured after implementation, the following was observed:
• Before PASSUR, 25% of estimates (1930 flights) were off by 5+ minutes; after PASSUR, only 1% of estimates (61 flights) were off by 5+ minutes.
• Before PASSUR, 5% of estimates (386 flights) were off by 10+ minutes; after PASSUR less than 1% of estimates were off by 10+ minutes.
• PASSUR is most helpful during irregular operations, and did not result in a degradation of ETA accuracy, as was the case with other methods of ETA calculation during the same conditions.
• During one day of irregular operations, 64% of flights would have shown a better ETA with PASSUR than with the old method and only 1% would have been worse off with PASSUR.
RightETA™ is one of a suite of information and software subscription products provided to airlines, and has been demonstrated to be the most accurate ETA available in the market, powering airline systems such as gate management, scheduling, passenger flight information, and baggage management. The PASSUR ETA is derived from algorithms which are fed by multiple data sources in real time, including flight position information from the network of PASSUR radar systems installed throughout the country. It is calculated by tracking multiple real-time metrics of the target flight as well as other nearby aircraft in the surrounding airspace, along with current and historic airspace conditions, resulting in an unmatched predictive capability. There is no equivalent product on the market today.
About Megadata
Megadata owns and operates PASSUR, a national network of multiple, live flight information sources feeding a single, integrated database that is becoming the de facto standard of independent, complete, timely, and accurate information for the aviation industry. It includes the unique network of PASSUR radar installations in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. The company’s principal business is the delivery of flight information, application software, and web-delivered collaborative decision tools to the aviation industry and organizations that serve, or are served, by the aviation industry. Megadata distributes its products through a direct sales force, and through premier aviation decision-support technology firms.
The forward-looking statements in this news release relating to management’s expectations and beliefs are based on preliminary information and management assumptions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ in material respects, including those related to customer needs, budgetary constraints, competitive pressures, the success of airline trials, the profitable use of the Company’s owned PASSURs located at major airports, the Company’s maintenance of above average quality of its product and services, as well as potential regulatory changes. Further information regarding factors that could affect the Company’s results is contained in the Company’s SEC filings, including the October 31, 2005 Form 10-K, and the April 30, 2006 Form 10-Q.
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