Need Help?
This panel moderated by CNN’s Anna Stewart, brought together a Susan Doniz, CIO at Boeing, and Juliana Rios Chief Digital and IT Officer at LATAM, to discuss the role of data and the extent to which it was being exploited effectively to improve performance, sustainability and customer experience.
There was an acceptance that aviation should do a lot better at exploiting the data that it can generate. The data collected is stable and reliable but the constraints placed on many of the legacy systems limits aviation’s ability to create opportunities. An aircraft system, for example, might be operational for 40 or 50 years and in that time may perform a number of functions. On top of that, while systems might be in place for a long time, regulations are moving fast.
Doniz explained that aircraft have thousands of sensors developing terabytes of information and it would take a person two years to analyze the data from just one flight, but fortunately we have tools to manage this. This data, for example, helps to improve fuel efficiency. She also referred to Boeing’s ‘Cascade’ tool to model different routes to net zero.
Rios explained that combining data sets is extremely valuable. An example is using an algorithm to help understand the likely gender mix on-board, which can help optimize weight and fuel burn. But this requires passenger and operations teams to work together.
Both women discussed the role of AI to solve issues. Doniz argued that Six Sigma may no longer be enough and AI helps navigate an even higher quality control process. Finally the role of regulations was discussed. Rios suggested that on top of data privacy and AI regulation, the challenge of cyber security was also key.
