The potential role of Generative AI in personalizing travel plans and instantly creating tailored offers, and the future of digital identity in air travel were on the agenda at IATA’s Annual Innovation Day. The event, held 28 June in Geneva, brought together more than 100 industry stakeholders together to spark important conversations on the future of digital innovation in aviation.
Participants included representatives from more than 40 airlines, along with Digital Innovation Strategic Partners, selected startups from Accelerate@IATA, and corporate travel buyers (members of the Travel Manager Advisory Group – TMAG). The event provided a valuable platform for collaboration to discuss the current industry priorities defined by the Digital Transformation Advisory Council (DTAC).
The main theme of the event was Modern Airline Retailing with panels and keynote presenters sharing and socializing innovation initiatives to support the transition to offers and orders. The value chain under the Innovation Lab presented the progress toward End-to-End PoC on Digital Identity, showcasing its potential impact for seamless travel. Attendees also heard about digital enablers, such as Open API Hub on top of the voice of the Corporate Buyers about the challenges they face a business travelers Finally participants also discussed the importance of driving sustainability and accessibility standards within the industry.
A highlight was the innovation roundtable exploring the potential use cases of Generative AI which was introduced by IATA’s former Chief Data Officer Kim Macaulay, who has recently taken on the newly-created position of Chief Information and Data Officer.
Diversity was also on the agenda, with an update on the winner of the recently concluded IATA and Amazon Web Services Diversity Datathon.
Looking ahead, the IATA Innovation Hub will present a series of webinars encompassing the themes discussed during the roundtable as well as survey feedback. We firmly believe that progress is achieved through collaboration, and we eagerly welcome input from our community to address the pain points in the industry.
