New Age of Technology: Changing how we Travel…

Bringing Airlines and Airports closer together… The BAE Ventures way…

The aviation industry is not untouched by the effects of the digital wave, which has created a ripple effect across industries and organizations. However, it is not among the pioneers of the digital revolution. Instead, it is simply reacting to the new wave of technology and following the trends to stay up to date with the demands and expectations of modern passengers. We at BAE Ventures believe aviation and airports need to be at the heart of disruption; and the future of travel holds exciting prospects.

Travellers today expect a completely personalized experience right from the booking stage, through until ‘after their journey’. In particular, the aviation industry can leverage and utilise sentiment analysis to determine customers’ needs and formulate their strategies accordingly. And, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has determined the technologies and factors that will define how the aviation industry will shape up in its recent report on “Future of the Airline Industry 2035.” The report identified AI and big data to be prominent in the future of the aviation sector.

The changing aviation industry has five major drivers – Society, Environment, Politics, Economy, and Technology. While the societal, environmental, political, and economic factors are somewhat impossible to control, technology is becoming the prime opportunity for the aviation industry, and will assist to revolutionise air travel; making it faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before. Let us try to get a picture of how the aviation sector will look like in the coming years:

1. Artificial Intelligence – AI is being used to deliver a personalized traveling experience to passengers to generate maximum customer satisfaction. Artificial intelligence is personalizing, optimizing, and upscaling the digital interactions between airlines and passengers. AI applied to the passengers’ social sentiment is helping the airline industry to curate their services as per the needs of the passengers.

2. Big Data – The shift towards democratizing data empowers the sector to make strategic decisions backed by facts. Coupled with AI, big data is helping the industry to predict and forecast consumer behaviour to fine-tune their strategy. As data is gaining a reputation as the most valuable asset in the digital age, it is only wise to proactively utilize data mining techniques to develop a robust plan that is highly likely to succeed.

3. Biometrics –Technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprint authentication, and retinal scanning will become the default way of verification. The verification process will soon become paperless with the integration of biometric systems for border control, airport check-ins, onboarding, and migration formalities. This will further extend to the baggage claim process, allowing passengers to keep real-time track of their luggage.

4. In-flight connectivity – The world is increasingly getting interconnected, and connectivity is becoming a business necessity. The airline passengers will expect even in-flight connectivity in the coming days, eliminating the need to disconnect phones in the air. After the free Wi-Fi services across airports, airlines are also offering the provision inside the flight.

In Conclusion…

Although the technological factors affecting aviation industry are advancing and the industry is stepping forward to adopt them in the most optimal way, everything can fall flat without effective implementation. Extensive and meticulous testing is critical to ensure a successful adoption and implementation, and it is such that will be key in getting this highly complex programme right – much more than simply flipping a switch.

At BAE Ventures, we are looking to bring such innovation and technological advancements to airlines and airports accordingly. Our open innovation programmes are aimed at putting the best know-how on such advancements, allowing the organisation to utilise new practices to support and enhance the passenger journey. Building a more integrated airline and airport relationship will allow for smoother travel, and, ensure that technologies work together to make travel, once again, the sector that is leading from the front.