Cayman Airways is on the hunt for a new passenger service system, inviting vendors to pitch either a single end-to-end platform or a mix-and-match suite of components.
The tender was issued on 29 April by the carrier. Bids close on 26 June, with shortlisted vendors to be notified on 17 July and a contract signed by 14 August.
The airline, which moves around 425,000 passengers a year, currently runs its booking and check-in technology through Sabre Airline Solutions.
Its fleet pairs 737-8 jets on international routes with Twin Otter and Saab 340B turboprops, the latter flying under the Cayman Airways Express banner to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Jet routes reach Miami, Tampa, New York (until October 2026), Denver, Havana, Kingston, Montego Bay, La Ceiba, Los Angeles, Panama and Austin, with several operating seasonally.
In a shift from the all-in-one deals typical of the airline industry, Cayman Airways is opening the door to piecemeal bids covering reservations, departure control, the internet booking engine, mobile app, loyalty programme and self-service kiosks.
The carrier has reserved the right to award the work as a single contract, in pieces, or in any combination it sees fit.
Vendors taking the best-of-breed route must prove their software can plug into existing tools, including Maxamation Aviator for revenue management, Maureva for revenue accounting and Luggage Logistics for baggage.
Compatibility with common-use airport platforms from SITA, Collins Aerospace, Amadeus IT Group, RESA Airport Data Systems and TAV Technologies is also required.
Bids will be marked out of 100, with 45 points for a 473-question functional questionnaire spanning 11 modules, 40 for price, 10 for company background and references, and five for a local industry impact statement weighing Caymanian ownership and local resource use.
Sample figures in the tender point to one-off implementation costs near US$35,000 and yearly licence and hosting fees of about $624,000, covering the core platform, mobile app, loyalty system and round-the-clock priority support.
A further $0.85 applies per boarded passenger, pushing five-year totals close to $5.3 million net, across contract lengths of five, seven or 10 years.
On the security side, the chosen vendor must comply with the Cayman Islands Data Protection Act, flag any personal data breach within 24 hours, host data in Tier 3 or Tier 4 facilities, and carry SOC 2 or ISO 27001 accreditation.
Interline electronic ticketing must work with carriers including American, Air Canada, Avianca, British Airways, Delta, Emirates, Qatar Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic. Queries go through the Bonfire portal to procurement contact Everton Stewart.
The new system is due to go live by 1 May 2027.
