Artificial intelligence: All set for take-off at an airport near to you

Airport is ready to fly high with artificial intelligence input in the near future for a hassle free experience

United States: We have reached a breaking point in the evolution of airport IT. Thanks to the consolidation of enormous data feeds and various upcoming technological efficiencies, we are now commencing a journey where over the next set of years, we will see fundamental changes in how people get off and on planes, and how airlines get their planes comes in and take off from airports. And it will all be down to new types of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. This technological advancement will have a positive impact on the aviation industry in the near future. Just Imagine, in a self-driven car you will be arriving at the airport, thereupon your bag will be collected by a robot. After that, on your way to board the plane, you will present your biometric (probably your face) at every checkpoint to get yourself through. A sleek up-to-date experience, with no confusion, Simple and hassle-free. As in recently launched IATA/ACI program, New Experience in Travel and Technologies, or NEXTT, AI was cited. The trend is ongoing as per our research; about half of airlines and airports say that they’re planning to adopt predictive tools-using AI and cognitive computing over the coming years. Already a few front runners are trialling predictive modelling, machine learning and data mining. One area of interest is flight disruption, which is mostly because of the weather, represents a huge estimated cost of USD 25 billion to the air transport industry. That is the reason why airlines and airports are looking at technologies to improve receptivity during turmoil, enhance performance and customer service. Another technology which is catching industry attention is The Chatbot, with 14% of airlines and 9% of airports, including British Airways, Avianca and KLM are using these computer programs. There is a huge demand among air transport CIOs to grasp chatbots over the next upcoming years. As Chatbots can mimic human conversation, they can help with customer queries, book flights and perform check-ins as well. Though already there are machines which work over voice commands and perform tasks such as taking reservation, etc. According to BlueWeave Consulting, over the next three years, 80% of airlines plan to invest in major programs or R&D for prediction and warning systems, which rely heavily on AI. They will be used to integrate airport, airline, government and security systems. AI will be in the hands of both staff and passengers, with bots and APIs feeding apps on smartphones. And it will be in the airport’s infrastructure to analyse video in real time for issues, for biometric screening and for boarding systems. With the constant growing passenger demand and global shift towards self-service, a game-changing future lies ahead for AI at the airport, creating the air transport industry more efficient and making the passenger’s journey a better experience.