Every traveler has experienced it at least once: you’re waiting at your gate when an announcement is made saying, “The flight has been delayed due to mechanical issues”. While this is a frustrating, yet surprisingly frequent scene at airports around the world, arguably the most popular new technology is actively reducing delays and cancellations of this nature, namely, AI.

The aforementioned is an example of what Delta’s APEX system is used for. APEX (Advanced Predictive Engine) monitors real-time engine health and optimizes maintenance timing; between 2010 and 2018, it helped reduce annual maintenance-related cancellations from 5,600 to only 55, according to Airways Magazine. Not only are such systems reducing travel disruptions, but also in other cleverly-integrated ways making travel for passengers easier: AI travel assistants help passengers without the need for a help desk, and fares are also dynamically priced using AI.

In other words, AI is now a practical tool transforming not only aircraft maintenance but also pricing, passenger support, and airport operations.

Where, Why, and How Is AI Used?

Aside from maintenance scheduling and AI assistants, AI is used in various ways in the airline industry. Airlines are deploying AI technology across various operational domains to reduce expenses, boost revenue, and improve operational safety. The following are some examples of AI integration by airlines:

• Predictive Maintenance: AI schedules maintenance by using machine learning to monitor engine health, scheduling maintenance accordingly.
• Ground Operations: Crowd flow management and turnaround optimization can improve ground operation efficiency. A digital twin model of an airport can also model ramp operations such as baggage loading, refueling, and cleaning in real time.
• Route Optimization: AI dynamically adjusts flight paths based on the weather and air traffic congestion, saving fuel and time.
• Revenue Management: AI can simulate millions of pricing scenarios in milliseconds, taking into account holidays, competitive fares, and real-time demand factors with ease, thus maximizing revenue for airlines.
• Customer Experience: AI assistants and chatbots eliminate the need for passengers to visit a physical help desk. Handling high volumes of passenger inquiries in this way simultaneously means less burden on ground staff.
• Sustainability: AI optimizes engine wash scheduling and APU idling during turnarounds, which also allows a reduction in CO2 emissions. Route Optimization also means that a flight will burn less fuel, reducing an airline’s carbon footprint.

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