The latest interactive, AI-powered retail experience at Changi Airport
A partnership between Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail and Lotte Duty Free has produced a unique, AI powered, experience redefining retail in an airport setting. This “first of its kind” for an airport space, pushes the boundaries of retail with its combination of technology, personalisation, and imagination.
Encapsulating the world-famous airport’s customer focused and technology driven vision, the 33-square-feet boutique has a range of immersive experiences and services for passengers, including an AI ambassador, digitalised merchandising units, robot bartenders, and VIP tastings.
“We are proud to launch the Martell AI-powered boutique, which harnesses the power of data and technology to deliver personalized customer-centric experiences; a key tenet of the Changi Airport retail experience.”
Located in Changi’s Terminal 1 Lotte Duty Free store, the interactive exhibit features the ‘Martell Untouchable Taste’ tool, which “guides shoppers through the Martell range, and provides personalized tasting recommendations based on their preferences. This recommendation is then sent to the Martell robot bartender, who proceeds to serve the desired beverage to the customer.”
With Changi consistently positioning itself at the forefront of innovation, the integration of this “retail theatre” continues to elevate the airport experience though new and engaging technologies.
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Henry Harteveldt
Henry Harteveldt is one of the world’s best-known travel industry analysts and President of Atmosphere Research Group, a company providing market research and analysis to the global travel industry. With over a decade’s experience in identifying emerging travel trends, Henry is well-equipped to discuss the landscape of the industry at the event making perceptive observations and encouraging thoughtful analysis.
In this short ten-minute interview, the Atmosphere Research Group President highlights a few aspects of the Asia-Pacific region which make it so consequential for the wider evolution of the aviation industry. Moreover, the Atmosphere Research Group President shortlists some key conversations to look out for in the “open, honest, and unfiltered” discourse at Aviation Festival Asia.
Henry will be participating in multiple sessions at Aviation Festival Asia including:
Interviewing Haoyu Dai, Divisional Vice President Digital, Singapore Airlines Limited on how the industry can accelerate digital solutions that optimise operations and improve the customer experience while overcoming challenges of legacy systems.
Interviewing Kerem Kiziltunc PhD, Chief Information Officer at Turkish Airlines on digital ambition at the airline
Moderating the closing keynote digital product panel with the General Manager Digital at Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, CCO at TUI, and Chief Digital and Information Officer at IndiGo.
Moderating the CIO panel on ‘how are airline CIOs in Asia are prioritising investments as we head further into 2023 to meeting passengers digital demands and deliver on sustainability efforts?’ with Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Australia
Moderating a panel of Aviation tech Asia innovation going into 2023 – time for a new mindset? With Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Starburst Accelerator, and Singapore Airlines
Moderating a panel on ‘how can we as an industry fully embrace cloud modernization and enterprise transformation to usher in a new era of operational efficiencies, better customer experiences, and actional data insights’ with Bamboo Airways, SpiceJet, ET AL, and SriLankan Airlines.
Interviewing Ayman Aboabah, CEO King Abdulaziz International Airport, exploring the airport’s vision for 2023 and beyond with digital transformation and capacity expansion.
Interviewing Hari Marar, MD and CEO Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru on how the design of T2 reflects the world’s biggest changes as a result of the pandemic.
Moderating the CEO panel on entering Asian airports’ post-pandemic era of unprecedented digital transformation, collaboration, innovation, and reimagined business models with Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, SITA, and King Abdulaziz International Airport.
If you want to see Henry’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here. To see a previous interview with Henry, click here.
Four start-ups to look out for at Aviation Festival Asia: Payments
Aviation Festival Asia gathers together industry giants, start-ups, and everyone in between to drive innovation in the aviation industry. The event is an opportunity for start-ups to get noticed and for influential industry players to forge business partnerships in the Asia Region.
With new technologies, shifting demands from customers, and pressure points highlighted by the pandemic the payments landscape is changing. These four start-ups each approach the broad topic of payments from a different perspective, addressing payment management, payment options, refunds, and more with a new and innovative outlook.
1. Aeropaye
Aeropaye is developing an autonomous smart flight refund engine for airlines, travel agents, travel management companies and passengers on delayed or cancelled flights, integrating Blockchain distributed ledger technology, smart contract components and the IATA direct connect New Distribution Capability (NDC) protocol. We compete in the growing airline ticketing industry valued at $776.9 billion.
Airline tickets are stuck in a technological bottleneck. Coordinating purchases, transfers, settlements on delayed and canceled flights and payments across hundreds of airlines, agencies, and countries is expensive and inefficient under the current system.
The Aeropaye DLT component is an amazing technology that allows for easy, near instant, trustless collaboration between different parties with a common goal. These difficulties of the travel industry is the perfect environment to apply it in. Aeropaye travel tickets smart tokens have immediate benefits like fast transactions, instant settlements, and more efficient collaboration between all the parties.
2. Happy Fly Limited
Happy Fly Limited (HFL) is an Insurtech MGA based in London offering unique insurance and technology solutions to Airlines to mitigate the financial and administrative burdens of EU261 Flight Delay Compensation exposures.
HFL has developed flexible and innovative insurance solutions designed to mitigate an Airline’s financial exposure to their current, future and historic EU261 compensation liabilities and cap EU261 to a single predictable cost.
In addition, HFLs unique Payments+ secure cloud-based claims portal autonomously manages, validates, and verifies passenger EU261 claims as well as paying compensation to passengers anywhere in the world.
HFL feel that they are well positioned to assist Airlines in the Post-Covid environment, where Airlines are under pressure to restructure into leaner more efficient and cost-effective operating models. The solutions HFL can deliver to Airlines will reduce liabilities to increase borrowing potential as well as providing financial certainty and balance sheet protection, which together with HFLs Payments+ Claims Portal, will be a paradigm shift in customer service and deliver significant cost savings to Airlines worldwide.
3. SeatCash
SeatCash is an innovative travel lifestyle technology company delivering an improved travel purchase and management experience to consumers and travel suppliers. Bringing 100+ years of combined travel industry experience, the SeatCash team is using technology to disrupt the frustrations of today’s travel environment utilizing the latest in predictive sciences, AutoML, and FinTech innovation.
4. Wowpay
Wowpay Pte Ltd is a payment orchestration service provider which enables customers to manage multiple payment gateways and processors across the globe through a single API. Wowpay’s proprietary rules-based engine has been proven to help airlines save costs in managing their payment stack by reducing the time it takes for multiple payment methods to be integrated and channelling payments to the lowest cost processor.
All this can be done by little to no-code on Wowpay’s dashboard. Wowpay can handle not just payment processing but also fraud detection and management settings. Back by a team of experienced travel technologists, Wowpay understands the challenges faced and value demanded by airlines.
These four start ups will be at Aviation Festival Asia next month. To see how these and many other start-ups can enhance passenger experience, get your ticket here.
London Heathrow reports its busiest start to the year since the pandemic whilst keeping security queues low
Today, the UK’s busiest airport announced over 5.48 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in January making it the “strongest start of the year since the beginning of the pandemic.”
The majority of travellers passing through the airport were from the European Union (EU) – 1.62 million, followed by passengers from North America – 1.21 million. These represented a 135 per cent and 120 per cent increase in passenger traffic respectively.
Despite EU and North American travellers composing the two largest groups of passengers for the airport in January, the APAC market demonstrated the largest growth compared to last year according to Heathrow’s figures. With 764,000 passengers in January 2023, number of travellers at the airport from the APAC region were up 181.3 per cent compared to the previous year.
Importantly, despite the strong passenger recovery the airport also reported the congestion problems in the airport had been resolved with “98 per cent of passengers waiting less than ten minutes for security in January.”
The airport is also trialling eGates for children ages 10 and 11 in Terminal 5 which will continue the airport’s progress towards establishing “smooth and seamless journeys.”
Reporting on the month’s passenger traffic, CEO John Holland-Kaye said:
“Heathrow is back to its best, with passenger satisfaction scores meeting or exceeding 2019 levels. We are giving a warm welcome to families over the half-term getaway by delivering excellent service and bringing back the magic of travel.”
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Mike Arnot
As highlighted by Mike Arnot in this discussion, many players in the APAC region are at the cutting edge of digital marketing and communication with their customers. Considering this, insight from these industry leaders could enrich practices across the globe. Mike Arnot, Principal at Juliett Alpha is involved in several of the marketing strategies & branding sessions taking place at Aviation Festival Asia at the end of the month.
The Juliett Alpha Principal is:
Moderating a CMO panel reconsidering marketing priorities as airlines rescale and emerge as internationally relevant brands. The session includes the CMOs of Saudia, Korean Air, and Virgin Australia as well as the APAC Managing Director for EveryMundo.
Interviewing Amad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer Airline Business, Malaysia Airlines about Malaysia Airlines’ outlook on digital marketing for 2023 and beyond.
Moderating a panel on devising digital marketing tactics to create iconic branding which will speak to 2023’s target online audiences. This panel includes the Director of Customer & Brand, HK Express, Chief Executive Officer Airline Business, Malaysia Airlines, Head of Marketing and Communications, Beond, and Digital Manager – Omnichannel Orchestration, Cathay Pacific Airways.
In this short interview, Mike explains his approach to these, detailing what delegates can expect to gain from attending and explaining how he intends to move beyond “Marketing 101” in the sessions.
To see Mike’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here.
Capital A have announced they are replacing their AirAsia Virtual Allstar (AVA) with ‘Ask Bo,’ a new chatbot with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities (ML).
CEO Capital A, Tony Fernandes said:
“We thank AVA for her achievements in handling more than 113 million guests since 2019, and handling over 43 million queries in 2020 at the peak of Covid. Given the size of the airline that AirAsia is, with thousands of refunds and flight change requests, humans alone cannot cope, we have to also use technology. We learned through AVA how to use artificial intelligence to answer complex and sizable queries better and faster.”
The new chatbot, Ask Bo, has been constructed over the last eight months, learning from previous years what users wants and what their most common requests are.
Kesavan Sivanandam, Chief Airport and Customer Experience Officer, AirAsia Aviation Group highlighted some of the new features of the chatbot. These include live updates on flight status, push notifications for on the day changes of operations, baggage information including tracking, arrival belt, and mishandled baggage report. Furthermore, Ask Bo will give passengers more autonomy helping them to change flights and request refunds and from March, provide access to a human agent.
As AI and ML play an increasingly prominent role in the customer experience aspects of aviation, the technology is continuously being honed and refined. It will be interesting to see how AirAsia customers respond to the new chatbot.
At Aviation Festival Asia 2023, Tony Fernandes will be giving the keynote interview on understanding how and why the airline industry needs to digitally diversify and what AirAsia have in store in 2023.
Technology, retail, and distribution. An interview with Richard Engelmann, Regional Vice President, Asia, Oceania, and India at Japan Airlines
Before Aviation Festival Asia, Richard Engelmann, Regional Vice President, Asia, Oceania, and India at Japan Airlines joined for a conversation around retail, distribution, and the impact of new technology on the industry.
Throughout the interview, Richard shared his personal views on the evolution of airline retail and distribution, drawing on a rich and varied career within the industry. Towards the end, the Regional Vice President also answered some more specific questions on Japan Airlines’ approach to sustainability and growth amongst international travellers.
Commencing with a broad discussion around non-aviation specific technological advancements, Richard discussed the potential these hold for the aviation industry. Ranging from ChatGPT to digital identities, advancements in other sectors are a useful reference point for the aviation industry.
As the conversation moved towards tech developments within airline retail and distribution, Richard raised some nuanced observations concerning culture. Here, drawing on personal experience, the impact of cultural differences on rates of tech adoption and customer expectations were highlighted, providing a subtle balance to the discussion.
In the course of the interview, an array of topics were covering including predictions for the future of distribution, post-pandemic expectations, and customer experience. The entirety of the interview lasts 45-minutes. However, the below index can help to navigate to specific areas of the conversation.
Index
Richard Engelmann’s introduction and background [0.38]
Discussion around ChatGPT and its potential uses in the aviation industry [3:25]
Question: Are there any specific developments in tech and innovation that you are excited to see in airline retailing and distribution? [6:30]
Exploring the cultural nuances of travel [10:45]
Question: Can you highlight some of the ways that technological innovation is already improving experiences for customers in the retail space? [13:30]
Discussion surrounding the adoption of technology and how it is received [16:10]
Question: Is there a pattern to how we have seen distribution evolve over the last five years? [19:25]
Question: How do you expect to se distribution advance in the future? [21:50]
Question: How have you seen customer demands and expectations shift since the pandemic? [27:45]
Question: Does technology play a role in meeting post-pandemic expectations? [31:50]
Question: Could you give me an overview of how you make Japan Airlines attractive to international travellers? [33:20]
Question: Would you be able to talk a bit about sustainability and Japan Airlines? [36:35]
Japan Airlines’ sustainable charter flight [40:05]
Question: Why are you joining us at Aviation Festival Asia? [42:10]
Richard Engelmann will be joining us on the retail track at Aviation Festival Asia on 28 February to talk about these topics and more. The interview will cover, ‘Exploring the evolution of digitalised airline distribution’ and Richard will also sit on a panel discussing ‘Developing strategies which optimise the use of existing technologies within distribution systems.’ To hear these session and a diverse range of opinions from other key industry players, book your ticket here.
What to expect at Aviation Festival Asia with Mabel Kwan
Aviation Festival Asia is fast approaching. The event gathers together airline, airport, and tech leaders for an honest discussion into lessons learned and plans for the future. With a packed agenda exploring sustainability, retail, payments, marketing, IT, tech, loyalty, AI and more, there is a rich array of topics, speakers, and sessions to navigate.
Mabel Kwan, MD Alton Aviation Consultancy will be moderating some of the airport tech sessions at the event. Watch the short interview below to hear more about what to expect from these sessions, what to look forward to at the event, and why Aviation Festival Asia 2023 is not one to miss.
Mabel has years of experience in planning, investment and business development in the airline, airport, and tourism and travel industries. Formerly a Managing Director of Investments at Changi Airports International (CAI), Mabel’s experience in the industry equips her well to moderate airport tech panels at the event. The Alton Aviation Consultancy MD will be moderating the following sessions:
A panel exploring how biometric technology within airports can uplift the entire aviation ecosystem. The panel includes CIO of Malaysia Airports, CDO & CCO IGA of Istanbul Airport, VP Customer Experience at Star Alliance, and VP Business Management, APAC at SITA.
A panel looking at the role of digital transformation in ramping up airport operations in Asia’s post-pandemic recovery era. This panel includes the Director of Procurement and Logistics at IGA Istanbul Airport, the Head of Operations at Noida International Airport, the Head of Terminal Operations at GMR Megawide Cebu Airport, the Lead Systems Engineer at SriLankan Airlines, and the Regional head of Operations at Collins Aerospace.
Five start-ups to look out for at Aviation Festival Asia: Simplifying and improving the travel experience
Aviation Festival Asia gathers together industry giants, start-ups, and everyone in between to drive innovation in the aviation industry. The event is an opportunity for start-ups to get noticed and for influential industry players to forge business partnerships in the Asia Region.
A passenger’s travel experience is informed by many different stages of their journey. Consequently, as the aviation industry works to refine the overall journey, improvements can be made in a variety of ways. From enhancing retail opportunities to facilitating off-airport bag check these five start-ups simplify and improve the travel experience for passengers.
1. bagchain
bagchain is a travel communication platform and leading mobile baggage check-in provider. Check-in baggage remotely, anywhere, any place, anytime using bagchain’s’ eco-system bagchain cloud. With direct secure Wi-Fi, 3G/4G connections to the airlines systems.
For the remote baggage check-in bagchain offers various mobile modular kiosks. They can be optional equipped with a platform scale, combined boarding pass/passport scanner & biometrics. All the kiosk functionality is now also available in a handy bagchain iOS App. Together with a mobile handheld printer they can be used anywhere you want to check-in passengers’ baggage. Start using a bagchain kiosk or App just requires an internet connection.
2. E23
Passengers enjoy shopping at the airport but stringent security checks and long distances between gates and shops often make it challenging. In addition, passengers lack the means to compare prices between retailers making it hard to exploit all shopping opportunities. Our mission is to provide a simplified solution for our clients by creating a new mall experience at international Airports with time-efficient convenience. Through our innovative order-and-delivery system passengers can now shop as soon as they receive their flight booking confirmation or their online boarding pass, enjoying stress-free on-premise and last minute in-flight shopping with delivery up to arrival gates.
3. Inovat
Inovat is a digital VAT refund solution that allows travellers to save more than 20% in tax refunds on shopping without the need to complete any paperwork or stand in the airport queues. Inovat partners with banks by integrating tax refund functionality via an API to allow bank customers to save on shopping during their travels. The Tax Free industry has never been challenged – a paper process with high fees, stress and long queues for travellers. Inovat is the only digital product that solves the full cycle of travellers’ pain. With Inovat tourists get more money and save more time.
4. SimpleVisa
Are your customers confused about the documents they need to travel ? SimpleVisa informs, processes, and stores visas for them. In doing so we create a unique customer service and revenue opportunity for travel vendors. Implementation is seamless. Conversion and revenues fly high. And we deliver a smooth and secure user experience.
5. Travelsist
Founded in 2018, Travelsist is an Atlanta-based TravelTech startup modernizing passenger services for airports and airlines. “Reimagining passenger services, turning non-fliers into fliers and making air travel truly seamless are all key parts of our mission. In 2023, we’ll work with airport and airline leaders around the world to redefine passenger services and help them save money in the process. Our commitment to innovation, as well as to our people, will help Travelsist become the most effective, efficient passenger services workflow the airport has ever seen,” states CEO & Founder, Veronica Woodruff.
These five start ups will be at Aviation Festival Asia next month. To see how these and many other start-ups can enhance passenger experience, get your ticket here.
Saudia’s digital system linking flight tickets to transit visas
Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier, Saudia has plans to launch a ‘Your Ticket Your Visa’ digital integration system. The service allows passengers to stay in the country for up to four days with a complementary digital visa linked to a flight ticket.
How it works
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs links a transit visa to the flight ticket in approximately three minutes through an integration with the airline’s booking platform. The system prioritises the ease and convenience of passengers and can be accessed through Saudia’s website and smart applications. It is a “first-of-its-kind” service and helps to support the 2030 Vision, positioning Saudi Arabia as a hub connecting East to West.
“The launch of this innovative and seamless stopover visa is the first-of-its-kind in the aviation industry and a significant milestone in our digital transformation program. It is a testament to Saudia’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s strategic goal of reaching 100 million visits by 2030 and we are confident it will positively impact the growing number of transit passengers while enhancing our position as a hub that connects east and west. The new service will also encourage passengers to perform Umrah, visit key destinations and attend events and Saudi seasons.”
The service contributes to Saudi Arabia’s broader 2030 Vision which repositions Saudi Arabia as a tourism destination. As part of this, the aviation capacity is being grown in the region and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is being promoted.
To watch an exclusive interview with Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO Jeddah Airports click here.
The CMO and CCO of Saudia will both be speaking at Aviation Festival Asia to hear what they and other experts in the region have to say, get your ticket here. The event runs 28 February to 1 March 2023.
An ambitious future for Jeddah Airport. Interview with Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO Jeddah Airports Company
Mr Ayman Aboabah, CEO Jeddah Airports Company provided insight into the rich passenger experience at King Abdulaziz International airport (Jeddah Airport). With added responsibility as the gateway for pilgrims to the Holy Mosques (Hajj and Umrah), Jeddah Airport plays an important role in shaping the passenger journey.
As described by Mr Ayman, Jeddah Airport has developed the experience they provide passengers. Recognising these efforts, last month a report by the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) placed Jeddah Airport top of the list of international airports for overall performance in Saudi Arabia. GACA’s monthly report evaluates the country’s airports’ commitment to improving their passenger experience and services. This is judged on fourteen performance criteria including time spent in travel procedures, passports, customs areas, and disability services.
Jeddah Airport has been integrating a wealth of innovative technologies to ensure a unique travel experience for passengers whilst ensuring safe, secure, and efficient operations. These will be scaled up with the airport’s ambitious goal of catering up to 300 per-cent more passengers in the airport before the end of 2030. For more insight into the role of technology, future plans for the airport, and potential challenges in the region, watch the concise interview below.
Questions asked:
How do you offer a premium experience to all passengers going to Jeddah Airport?
Can you tell me about any upcoming opportunities for the airport?
Could you name some challenges that Asia’s airport CEO’s might face at the moment?
Does technology play a significant role in the passenger experience at Jeddah Airport?
What are your ambitions for Jeddah Airport in the coming year?
Mr Ayman Aboabah will be delivering the Keynote interview on ‘Exploring King Abdulaziz International Airport’s vision for 2023 and beyond with digital transformation and capacity expansion.’ Additionally, Mr Ayman will be on the Keynote CEO panel discussing ‘Entering Asian airports’ post-pandemic era of unprecedented digital transformation, collaboration, innovation, and reimagined business models.’ Get your tickets here.
We haven’t mentioned Blockchain, for quite some time.
We at Travel in Motion have already published numerous blogs, white papers, and podcasts about, hopefully, relevant subjects in our industry. But until now we have only once discussed blockchain and this was quite some time, ago. Are we missing out on something? Or are we “clever” enough to know that blockchain is simply a buzzword and will disappear like many others that were once hype and are now out of sight, out of mind? I think it is a case of “neither one nor the other”. As many others, we have mixed feelings about the relevance of blockchain technology in commercial airline IT. Thus, we are simply not yet confident enough to take a definitive position.
Maybe it would be helpful to summarize what blockchain technology really is and where it makes (or could make) the difference in comparison to “traditional” systems, such as databases. For me a good, but non-scientific start to get a high-level understanding of a new topic has often been Wikipedia, which describes blockchain as:
“A distributed ledger with growing lists of records (blocks) that are securely linked together via cryptographic hashes. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data (…). The timestamp proves that the transaction data existed when the block was created. Since each block contains information about the previous block, they effectively form a chain (…), with each additional block linking to the ones before it. Consequently, blockchain transactions are irreversible in that, once they are recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without altering all subsequent blocks.”
Comparing blockchain technology with traditional database technology shows that it delivers advantages. IBM provides an informative and easy-to-read summary on their website, which I have used for this blog:
Enhanced security: as the records are distributed over numerous entities with an end-to-end encryption, fraud-like manipulation of data and other unauthorized activities are simply not possible.
Greater transparency: as a blockchain uses a distributed ledger, all data and transactions are recorded identically in multiple locations. Thus, all participants see the same information at the same time, leading to transparency.
Instant traceability: through blockchain the provenance of data is documented and can be audited.
Increased efficiency and speed: compared to traditional paper-heavy and manual processes blockchain technology can lead to faster and more efficient execution.
Automation: through “smart contracts”, transactions are automated when pre-defined conditions are met. Smart contracts are programs stored on a blockchain that run when predetermined conditions are met.
As I am not a computer scientist, I am still not 100% sure if I understood all the above, but it has at least given me a view of where blockchain technology may provide advantages over traditional database technology. In a traditional database setup, data is stored in tables and can be modified any time. Blockchain is more secure, more or less immune to fraud, transparent and does not require a centralized third party to secure the system. Through this, blockchain as a technology creates confidentiality and trust without being managed centrally.
The probably best-known use of blockchain technology is cryptocurrencies. I must admit that the volatility of values, stored in and managed through cryptocurrencies does not impress me – it even makes me suspicious. But cryptocurrency is just an application that uses blockchain technology and it is probably the best proof point that the underlying blockchain technology really works.
So, what does this mean for commercial airline IT systems? Our ecosystem can also be characterized as an environment where participants are globally distributed, representing different interests with a need to cooperate, and where values are shifted through digitalized channels, requiring the highest security and traceability. Doesn’t this ring a bell? Aren’t these the characteristics that also describe the advantages of blockchain technology? Blockchain is exactly a technology that meets the requirements described above. The issue is only that these requirements already existed long before blockchain became available – and not only that, also these requirements have already been solved long before blockchain appeared on our radar screens. So, is blockchain a wonderful technology that addresses issues which have already been solved in our industry? I think there is an element of truth in this. Replacing legacy technology and processes for the sake of using modern technologies has always been a big challenge and an issue in our industry. Or in other words, while blockchain promises a lot and has also proven to deliver what it promises from a technological standpoint, what are the potential areas of use in our industry? What are the killer use cases for blockchain technology in commercial airline IT? In settlement process? Or distribution perhaps? Or perhaps even a combination of NDC; offer and order management together with blockchain – doesn’t this sound more like a nightmare to some of us?
But as of today, most of us still feel that blockchain is a technology that is rising and becoming more mainstream, but we do not yet know how it will be utilized and what impact it will have. Therefore, I come back to the point mentioned earlier in this blog. We at Travel in Motion are not yet confident enough to take a definitive position. This time we need your help: how do you see blockchain in commercial airline IT? Where do you see a value add? Where do you see use cases? We are looking forward to receiving your thoughts!
SITA finds aviation CIOs are “ramping up digital technology investments”
Earlier this week, SITA published their 2022 Air Transport IT Insights report. The study’s overall findings indicate that “aviation CIOs [are] ramping up digital technology investments.”
David Lavorel, CEO SITA said:
“Air travel has recovered faster from the pandemic than anyone in the industry had initially expected, particularly in Europe and the US. While the recovery is welcome, airports and airlines have found themselves on the back foot with staff and resource shortages. This has put strain on operations, resulting in an increased risk of congestion, delays, cancellations and mishandled baggage. Digitalization is seen as key to addressing these challenges, providing more scalability and flexibility.”
Catalysed by the pandemic, the aviation industry has been on an accelerated digitalisation journey which is reflected in a year-on-year growth in IT spend since 2020. Next year, is predicted to follow the trend, with 96 per cent of airlines and 93 per cent of airports expecting their IT spend to stay the same or increase in 2023 compared to 2022.
Here are some of the key findings from the report.
Airlines
The three main investments for airlines’ IT services are cyber security, mobile applications for passenger services, and IT service management enhancement.
The top four priorities for airlines investment in technologies are business intelligence software, data exchange technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking.
76 per cent of airlines forecast to implement self-boarding gates using biometric & ID documentation.
25 per cent of airlines currently offer the option to receive real-time information sent to their mobile about bags but 42 per cent confirm implementation by 2050.
Self-service solutions to help tackle irregular operations remained the top priority for this year at the airport.
87 per cent of airlines have an innovation strategy now or one that is currently being developed.
Airports
75 per cent of airports anticipate IT&T investment to increase in 2023.
Three of the top priorities for IT services are cybersecurity initiatives, self-service processes, and Business intelligence solutions.
The top two focuses for the future of passenger identify management are self check-in and self bag-drop.
Aviation Festival Asia has some of the APAC region’s leading aviation CIOs from Turkish Airlines to Virgin Australia, SriLankan Airlines to Bangalore International Airport. Get your ticket here to be a part of the discussion.
ZIPAIR to offer real-time video conferencing, streaming, and gaming for all passengers with SpaceX’s Starlink
On Tuesday, a press release confirmed that ZIPAIR Tokyo Inc. has selected SpaceX’s (Space Exploration Technology Corp.) Starlink to provide internet to all passengers. This makes the Tokyo based airline the first in Asia to partner with SpaceX’s new internet service.
Speaking about the announcement, ZIPAIR President Shingo Nishida said:
“We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in air travel and are excited to be a part of that future. We believe that our work with SpaceX is very important to increase the speed of in-flight internet communications and achieve a new standard in the industry.”
Providing higher-speed and lower-latency internet to passengers, ZIPAIR will offer seamless connectivity boasting “an in-flight internet connection as good as or better than they are used to at home.”
Notably, the integration of Starlink will allow all ZIPAIR passengers to real-time video conference, stream, and play video games according to the press release.
SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Sales, Jonathan Hofeller said:
“As the first Asian airline to implement Starlink, ZIPAIR is setting a new standard for in-flight connectivity, and we’re excited to work with the company to provide this modern in-flight connectivity experience.
There will be an IFEC track on 1 March at the second day of Aviation Festival Asia. Here, industry experts will discuss the race to connectivity, how to monetize the opportunities new IFEC tech brings, and more. Get your ticket to be a part of this conversation.
Well-positioned with a career spanning both airlines and airports, Claire will bring a first-hand appreciation of where the two overlap and where further collaboration is required.
On the second day of the event, Claire will be interviewing Christina Selvanayagam, Adelaide Airport on ‘Inter-industry data sharing within the travel sector to enhance the passenger experience.’ The Customer Centric Consulting Director will also be moderating a panel with Munich Airport International’s Head of Market, SriLankan Airlines’ Digital Transformation Lead, and Adelaide Airports’ Christina Selvanayagam exploring ‘Data analysis at the centre of passenger experience strategies within APAC airports.’
In this 10-minute conversation, Claire provided exclusive insight into what to expect from these sessions and offered her perspective on broader trends in the region and themes to look out for at the event.
To see Claire’s sessions and other unmissable talks, interviews, and panels get your ticket here.
Breaking down the mindset barriers holding back the widespread deployment of Artificial Intelligence-driven solutions requires nurturing a high-performance team from the start. Clear communication and reassurance across IT and business teams, defining common KPIs and goals focused on agility, accuracy, and performance. Businesses need to make clear to all employees that, far from replacing the human workforce, AI is simply changing people’s jobs for the better through intelligent automation, helping teams reduce repetitive administrative tasks in favor of more strategic decision-making and enhancing their ability to make better decisions and drive business performance.
Similarly, senior business leaders must commit to ensuring the right alignment between business use cases and the latest AI techniques to unlock new levels of performance. Equally, they must understand the roles they have to play in setting a company culture in which their organization seizes new opportunities, experiments with new technologies, and is not afraid of taking risks.
AI has the power to transform airline operations, unlocking new levels of data insight that can enhance profitability and the customer experience while enabling airline industry analysts to turbocharge their effectiveness, giving commercial teams that harness it a major edge over the competition.
When it comes to realizing this potential, however, the travel industry is still on a journey.
To realize the full power of AI, early adopters across industries have already realized – and demonstrated – the significant business benefits the technology can deliver.
Businesses that have remained reliant on legacy technologies now find themselves desperately playing catch up, prompting a surge of investment into AI-based solutions. According to a September 2022 article by Simple Flying, 82% of airlines are now looking to invest in AI.
While it will take work, industry mindsets can be shifted toward digital-first practices for commercial decision making. Let’s explore the steps that will enable this to happen and the opportunities around pricing and revenue management this could offer the aviation sector.
AI barriers for business stakeholders
There are certain mindsets that exist across the travel landscape that may hold back the industry’s adoption of AI.
Fear of the unknown, or the dreaded “black box” idea, makes some hesitant to adopt technology they cannot fully understand. If the analyst or manager cannot see the calculations being run, how do they know they’re correct? A lack of trust in the science behind AI can cause hesitancy to adopt new technology.
Employees must also be reassured that AI technology is not a stepping stone to replacing their roles, while those with extensive experience with legacy systems can often be reluctant to embrace new and unfamiliar business technology solutions.
Businesses can also face challenges around the lack of usable data and support infrastructure, and accessing valuable knowledge and skills can also prove challenging.
How to realize potential
Breaking through these potential obstacles requires clear and consistent communication and buy-in across all levels of the organization. Analysts should be reassured that, rather than replacing their jobs, AI will enhance them by allowing them to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks, freeing them up to focus on better decision making on key flights and routes. Analysts will be able to work with AI to act on information beyond the recorded data, such as upcoming schedule changes, new routes, or competitive opportunities. Technology still requires human insight to adopt and fine-tune strategies.
Senior leaders must commit to understanding how the new solutions can unlock greater optimization across the business and create a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision-making. Organizations must be willing to try AI on a small scale and gradually increase its adoption, instead of using a big-bang approach.
It’s also important for companies to redouble their efforts to gather clean data. Maximizing productivity and unlocking new insights relies heavily on having reliable, decision-influencing data readily available, and business leaders must foster this data-gathering capability in their organizations.
Aviation industry opportunities
These shifts can unlock huge opportunities for the aviation industry. The adoption of AI-driven solutions can prove critical to maximizing overall revenue, boosting commercial performance, and – perhaps most importantly of all – improving the customer experience.
The aviation sector has historically been held back by the limitations of legacy systems, which have merely enabled analysts to look for year-on-year patterns. The problem with this, especially in today’s volatile travel environment, is that there simply isn’t enough data on a specific flight at a given point in time to support accurate forecasting in a volatile environment.
AI-driven solutions overcome this problem thanks to technological advances like Deep Learning. These algorithms, trained by sifting through vast amounts of historical and contextual data – including bookings, searches, events, promotions, and competitor prices – enable forecasts which aid in truly informed decision-making. Commercial systems, powered by Deep Learning technology, allow airline teams to finally realize total revenue optimization – maximizing all sources of revenue to the airline.
FLYR is dedicated to generating win-win situations in which airlines become more profitable across fares, cargo, ancillaries, offer and order management, and retailing, while customers enjoy a superior experience. Moreover, with AI-powered commercial decision-making capabilities in The Revenue Operating System®, airlines can provide more personalization through every stage of the customer journey. Equipped with high accuracy and dynamic load and revenue forecasts, airlines are better able to direct marketing spend and energy toward higher-yielding results and adapt to the ever-increasing velocity of change to more quickly accommodate customers’ needs.
To learn more about how FLYR Labs is bringing AI to the travel industry, check us out.
Article by Christian Merkwirth, Technical Product Owner, Lead AI Scientist, FLYR
Six start-ups to look out for at Aviation Festival Asia: Data and artificial intelligence (AI)
Aviation Festival Asia gathers together industry giants, start-ups, and everyone in between to drive innovation in the aviation industry. The event is an opportunity for start-ups to get noticed and for influential industry players to forge business partnerships in the Asia Region.
Data and artificial intelligence (AI) are two of the most influential driving factors spurring innovation and advancement in the aviation industry. Both data and AI have begun to transform the landscape of the industry working separately and synergistically to progress multiple facets of aviation. Here are six start-ups working with data and/or AI to look out for at Aviation Festival Asia.
AEROSENS
Throughout the history of business, people use data to make more informed decisions. Digitalization is key to the future success of any industry. Our goal at AEROSENS is to develop technology solutions making the aviation industry more transparent, smarter, and cost efficient. Today, we provide solutions that transform the way information about parts, products, equipment and even people is gathered and analyzed.
Airevo
Airevo has been set up to transform airlines Commercial, Sales and Distribution environments through intelligent use of AI.
We are building a range of modular AI-driven solutions that will directly impact on profitability. The first is focused on reducing distribution costs, addressing unproductive bookings and increasing seat availability. The second solution will dynamically create personalized offers based on customer personas. This can be integrated into modern Direct and Indirect selling systems to increase upsell.
ALEIOS
ALEIOS help startups disrupt and large organisations to remain competitive using the best of Cloud-Native, Serverless. Building highly scalable systems we connect people, liberate data and create innovation through technology.
BookingData
BookingData enables hotels to make closed offers to airline travellers (currently confirmed: Lufthansa group, Eurowings and SunExpress). Hotels are receiving all the bookings made by the airlines and can select the profiles it wants to make offers to. Offers are then carried by the airline to the travellers.
NABLA Mobility
NABLA Mobility is a startup company that designs, develops, and provides software to optimize airline flight operations. We improve operational resilience and decarbonization by introducing the latest technologies such as AI/ML to support better operational decision-making for aviation.
“Weave” is our software product that supports pilots to make optimal in-flight decision making, based on our own developed unique set of AI/ML technologies, “Untangle”
RecoSense
RecoSense offers an AI-powered platform for document analysis and data centralization. Our primary expertise and focus are on transforming raw unstructured data into structured data with meta context definition. The platform powers Process Automations and Compliance Management with MROs in the Aviation Industry. We work as an Engineering partner with our customers to build enterprise-specific solutions.
Aerobot is an enabler system as a digital assistant for the functional and business teams for process efficiency and automation rather than replacement of human resources.
These six start ups will be at Aviation Festival Asia next month. Data and AI will be discussed across the majority of the tracks at the event with a range of top industry leaders discussing their experience, lessons, and plans for the future. Get your ticket here.
Watch ‘Data analytics in aviation. An interview with Dirk Jungnickel, SVP Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group’ here.
Data analytics in aviation. An interview with Dirk Jungnickel, SVP Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group
Like with many industries, data analytics is having a transformational impact on aviation. It has the potential to improve multiple facets of the industry, including but not limited to customer experience, revenue, operation efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Through encouraging optimisation at all stages and developing the way businesses interact with passengers, the industry is advancing. With such considerable potential, a strong understanding of how to harness and leverage this data is invaluable to companies.
In this 20-minute interview with the SVP Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group, Dirk Jungnickel provided an expert overview of the vast topic that is data analytics in aviation.
The discussion touched on the role data plays in the industry and the variety of ways it can be used to optimise systems with tangible results. Supplementing discussion of the potential data holds for the industry, Dirk draws also attention to some of its challenges, including difficulties getting a clear view of data across the business.
Furthermore, Dirk explores into depth how data analytics can be used to improve the customer experience. Offering the example of monitoring passenger satisfaction, Dirk describes how data is collected and analysed in a manner that allows for a dynamic, effective response.
Given the possibilities that data can offer the aviation industry, it is useful to understand the landscape and establish the value that it can hold for your business.
Questions:
How important is unlocking the potential of data to the overall success of the aviation industry?
How do you get a clear view of data across the business?
What can be gained by using AI to harness value from data?
Could you explain how data analytics can be used to enhance operations and improve the customer experience overall?
Can you tell us a little about the recent advancements in AI/ML for Emirates Group?
Are there any exciting developments in the data analytics field that we should be keeping an eye out for?
Fly less or innovate more? Air France-KLM CEO criticises Schiphol flight limits
Last week, the head of Air France-KLM critiqued the Dutch government’s decision to tackle environmental challenges by cutting airline slots at Schiphol Airport.
The government said last June that flights from Schiphol would be limited to 440,000 a year, down from 500,000 in a bid to reduce noise and air pollution, as well as deal with staff shortages.
Tim Hepher and Joanna Plucinska from Reuters reported:
At a company even in Paris, Chief Executive Ben Smith said, the Franco-Dutch airline group had invested heavily in newer planes based on foreseeable capacity at KLM’s hub only to see the goal posts move abruptly.
Ben Smith told reporters “You know we have a whole network, a whole fleet plan which is 25 years based on these slots […] That’s quite a big hit [they] have given us there,” adding that government efforts to curb emissions would be better directed at helping to scale up production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The CEO’s comments outline an interesting debate surrounding aviation and climate change. Should efforts, especially at a governmental level, be directed at reducing the overall number of flights occurring or assisting innovative solutions designed to curb emissions?
Aviation is famously a “hard-to-decarbonise” sector and sits in the public spotlight. Consequently, there have been many calls by activists for people to dramatically reduce the number of flights they take or stop altogether. There are even discussions surrounding frequent flyer levies in an attempt to reduce the total number of flights.
The importance of Etihad and SATAVIA’s contrail management partnership
Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) national carrier, Etihad Airways and SATAVIA signed the world’s first multi-year commercial agreement to integrate contrail management into routine operations.
Contrails, or condensation trails, are the lines of wispy clouds that follow behind some aircrafts in the sky. These are water vapor trails created by planes at high altitudes. Although the discourse surrounding the industry’s contribution to the climate crisis is primarily dominated by discussion of carbon dioxide, studies show that aviation’s contrails could be contributing more to global warming than carbon dioxide or other fuel emissions.
There are certain conditions that produce “persistent” contrails which are more detrimental to the climate. Amongst other factors, these include the time of day and altitude. However, as previously highlighted by Southwest Airlines’ director of environmental sustainability, when planning a flight to avoid contrails, it is important to balance this against the amount of extra fuel that will need to be burnt as a consequence.
Dr Edward Gryspeerdt, Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London, has highlighted how significant the warming effect of aviation induced contrails are. See the full conversation here.
“The warming effect of contrails is more than half the total climate impact of aircraft.
If you take the contrails that are in the atmosphere today, the warming effect of them is more than all the CO2 that has been emitted by aircraft since the dawn of flight.”
As the sector works creatively and tirelessly to reduce aviation’s impact on the environment, it is important that contrails are not omitted from the discussion.
On 18 January this year, Etihad and UK-based green aerospace firm SATAVIA signed a “ground-breaking” contrail management contract. This was build on a previous proof-of-concept engagement to expand the scope for contrail management within day-to-day flight operations.
SATAVIA’s contrail management platform DECISIONX:NETZERO, optimises commercial flight plans for greener operations, implementing small routing changes on a minority of flights to avoid the formation of persistent warming contrails.
Dr Adam Durant, SATAVIA CEO and Founder said:
“By implementing minimal changes to a small percentage of flights, eco-conscious operators like Etihad can eliminate most of their non-CO2climate footprint with little to no impact on day-to-day operations and on shorter timescales than other green aviation interventions. […] By implementing contrail management across their flight schedules, Etihad will once again blaze a trail for sustainable flight operations.”
Mariam Al Qubaisi, Head of Sustainability and Excellence, Etihad Airways said:
“In 2022 alone, SATAVIA technology has enabled us to eliminate thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent climate impact. We are delighted to sign this pioneering contract with SATAVIA at WFES, signalling our intent to tackle aviation’s non-CO2 impacts with cutting-edge science and ground-breaking technical innovation.”
Representatives from Etihad Airways will be speaking at Aviation Festival Asia next month. The event will have an entire track dedicated to sustainability, discussing cutting-edge strategies and pioneering with many of the leading figures from the industry. Get your ticket here.
For more recent articles around sustainability see:
