Air China Chooses Sabre for Advanced Flight Scheduling Tools

Sabre Technology Helps Simplify Operations After Merger of Airlines, Adds To Recent Success in China Market

SYDNEY, Australia, Dec. 20, 2002 -- Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE: TSG) and Air China have signed a contract to add Sabre SlotManager to the airline's flight scheduling department alongside Sabre PC AirFlite and further advancing the airlines scheduling capabilities.

The contract follows the recent merger of China Southwest Airlines and CNAC Zhejiang with Air China, giving the airline a total of 118 aircraft operating on more than 300 routes.

According to Li, Zeng De, Deputy Director of Planning and Scheduling, with the addition of Sabre's advanced flight scheduling systems, the airline will be able to generate the company-wide fleet schedule quickly and more efficiently.

"Air China is now a large player in the industry and we require superior solutions which enable the recent merger to move forward as smooth as possible," said Li. "Sabre has been able to offer these solutions to Air China while also providing support functions which help schedule evaluation and optimization."

This contract follows the implementation of a range of Sabre software that China Southern Airline is using to meet help meet its objectives in the market, including AirOps, AirPath / ASD, AirCrews, SteadyState and AirFlite.

The Air China contract follows other recent Sabre success in the China market, including China Airlines' integration of Sabre AirOps operations control system and AirCrews crew management system.

"Sabre's recent surge into the China market reflects our ability to provide airlines with an innovative, efficient and tailored product portfolio," said Michael Baldwin, Sabre senior vice president Asia-Pacific. "Air China experienced rapid fleet expansion following the merger which required advanced technology support, and Sabre's proven solutions were able to provide these requirements."

About Sabre Airline Solutions

Currently, over 200 airlines use Sabre's portfolio of software solutions for decision-support tools to streamline and simplify operations. More than 70 airlines worldwide use Sabre for their reservations systems, with 15 new carriers and six renewals signing in 2002. In addition, the consulting group has more than 100 clients worldwide and specializes in strategic, commercial and operational consulting. More than 300 contracts have been signed in 2002 within the Sabre Airline Solutions business unit.

About Sabre Holdings Corporation

Sabre is the leading provider of technology, distribution and marketing services for the travel industry. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the company has approximately 7,000 employees in 45 countries. Sabre reported 2001 revenues of $2.1 billion. Sabre owns Travelocity.com, the most popular travel site on the Web, and GetThere, the world's leading provider of Web-based travel reservations systems for corporations and travel suppliers. Sabre is an S&P 500 company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TSG). More information about Sabre is available at http://www.sabre.com .

About Air China

Founded in July 1, 1988, and headquartered in Beijing -- the capital city of China, Air China is the largest carrier in China in terms of traffic volume and company assets. Air China is the only national flag carrier in China and serves 43 international and 71 domestic routes with a total fleet of 69 aircraft. Recently, Air China will merge with China Southwest Airlines and CNAC Zhejiang Airlines. For more information regarding Air China please visit their web site at http://www.airchina.com.cn .

Sabre(R) SlotManager, PC AirFlite, AirOps and AirCrews crew management system, AirPath / ASD, AirCrews, SteadyState and AirFlite are trademarks of Sabre, Inc. or an affiliate of Sabre, Inc.