RuAviation

The Russian air ticket booking system, Leonardo, recorded a 21% increase in passenger traffic in 2024 compared to the previous period, Rostec Group’s press service announced.

This growth is attributed to both the expansion of the system’s functionality and its stable operation in the face of heightened cyber activity and attempted DDoS attacks on the Leonardo Automated Information System (AIS) infrastructure. RT-Project Technologies and Sirena-Travel are responsible for the product’s development. In 2024, flight payment via air miles was integrated into the system by the partners for the convenience of passengers and airlines.

Customers can now redeem miles from one airline to pay for flights on another; for example, Aeroflot miles can be used to purchase Pobeda tickets. These cross-platform solutions enhance the system’s appeal to users and encourage increased air traffic volumes. Simultaneously, the option to purchase tickets immediately before check-in closes has been implemented in Leonardo to meet the needs of passengers requiring urgent flights.

Another enhancement to Leonardo is the expanded functionality of the seat selection service. This option is available at all stages of passenger service, including the period before check-in is completed. Previously, seat selection was restricted to specific timeframes, which caused inconvenience for passengers wishing to reserve a particular seat at the last minute.

Rostec notes that the increase in bookings is occurring despite ongoing attempted DDoS attacks on Leonardo originating from several unfriendly countries, including Ukraine. A dedicated in-house information security team and additional distributed groups of specialists are deployed to counter these attacks.

“The ‘Leonardo’ passenger service system is an entirely Russian-developed solution that has successfully replaced foreign equivalents. It includes a suite of solutions automating routine processes for airlines. Maintaining the system’s stable operation in the face of massive attacks involving over a million IP addresses is our top priority. The objective of these attempts is to replicate situations where the failure of booking systems has paralysed the operations of hundreds of airlines or delayed thousands of flights worldwide,” Rostec commented.