How can IT systems help airlines manage their environmental impact?
Airlines face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact, especially their carbon emissions. IT systems can help airlines manage their environmental impact by optimizing their network planning, operations, and reporting. In this article, we will explore how IT systems can enable airlines to achieve these goals and what benefits they can bring.
-
Asad Bukhari MBA, MIS, PMP, AvMPLinkedIn Top Voice for AI, Airlines, and Project Management | CIO | Agile | Digital Transformation Expert
-
Puneet SachdevPrincipal Solutions Architect @ Amazon | Digital, Cloud, GenAI | Sustainability Evangelist
-
Navin Jacob AbrahamAI led Digital Transformation | CX Transformation| Consulting | Digital Transformation | Value Creation | Business &…
Network planning is the process of designing and scheduling the routes, frequencies, and aircraft types that airlines operate. IT systems can help airlines optimize their network planning by using data and algorithms to analyze demand, costs, and environmental factors. For example, IT systems can help airlines choose the most fuel-efficient aircraft for each route, adjust the flight paths to avoid weather disruptions, and balance the load factors to reduce empty seats. By using IT systems, airlines can improve their profitability and sustainability.
-
Navin Jacob Abraham
AI led Digital Transformation | CX Transformation| Consulting | Digital Transformation | Value Creation | Business & Technology Strategy | Agile | Rapid Innovation | Legacy Modernization | Entrepreneurship
The aviation ecosystem is highly interconnected and an amazing amount of data is available real-time - this includes aircraft generated data, airport data, passenger data, industry data, weather or Geo-political data. Today advanced analytics, data science & AI technologies provide amazing opportunities to leverage this data and optimize operations
Operations is the process of managing the day-to-day activities of airlines, such as flight dispatch, crew management, maintenance, and ground handling. IT systems can help airlines optimize their operations by providing real-time information and communication, automating tasks, and enhancing safety and quality. For example, IT systems can help airlines monitor and control the fuel consumption, emissions, and noise of each flight, coordinate the crew and ground staff, and prevent or resolve any issues that may arise. By using IT systems, airlines can increase their efficiency and reliability.
-
Tobias Weidemann
🌱 Ops, & Leadership Expert 📈 | Balancing Excellence & Ethics: Doing Things Right vs. Doing the Right Thing | Views Are My Own
Die Optimierung von Flugrouten und der Einsatz von Treibstoffeffizienz-Management-Systemen tragen zur Reduzierung von Emissionen und zur Förderung nachhaltiger Betriebspraktiken bei
Reporting is the process of collecting and disclosing the data and performance of airlines, such as financial results, customer feedback, and environmental impact. IT systems can help airlines optimize their reporting by standardizing and integrating the data sources, simplifying and automating the reporting processes, and improving the transparency and accuracy. For example, IT systems can help airlines measure and report their carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental initiatives, using common metrics and frameworks, such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). By using IT systems, airlines can demonstrate their accountability and compliance.
-
Tobias Weidemann
🌱 Ops, & Leadership Expert 📈 | Balancing Excellence & Ethics: Doing Things Right vs. Doing the Right Thing | Views Are My Own
Predictive Maintenance, ermöglicht durch IT-Systeme, hilft Fluggesellschaften, Wartungsarbeiten vorausschauend zu planen und somit Ausfallzeiten zu minimieren. Dies führt zu einer höheren Verfügbarkeit der Flugzeuge und geringeren Betriebskosten.
IT systems can help airlines manage their environmental impact, enabling them to achieve cost savings, customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage. Optimizing their network planning and operations can lead to reduced fuel consumption and emissions, lower operational and reporting costs, more convenient and comfortable flights, as well as enhanced reputation and loyalty. Additionally, IT systems can assist airlines in communicating their environmental performance and actions to customers, gaining a competitive edge over rivals, and accessing new markets and opportunities.
-
Navin Jacob Abraham
AI led Digital Transformation | CX Transformation| Consulting | Digital Transformation | Value Creation | Business & Technology Strategy | Agile | Rapid Innovation | Legacy Modernization | Entrepreneurship
Have come across some interesting solutions that do exactly this. Route & network planning, fuel & aircraft performance analytics can help airlines significantly optimize operations. There are industry solutions available from SITA, IATA and other players as well as customer solutions created by aviation industry data analytics specialist organizations like IGT solutions that can help here
IT systems can also pose some challenges for airlines to manage their environmental impact. Data quality is a major concern, as IT systems rely on the availability and accuracy of data to perform their functions. Poor data quality can lead to inconsistencies and errors. Airlines also need to be aware of the risk of cyberattacks, which can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data and systems. Additionally, IT systems must comply with the relevant laws and regulations that govern the aviation industry and environmental issues. These laws and regulations may differ across different countries and regions, making it difficult for airlines to keep up with the changing regulatory environment. Airlines must ensure that their IT systems meet these requirements in order to manage their environmental impact effectively.
-
Asad Bukhari MBA, MIS, PMP, AvMP
LinkedIn Top Voice for AI, Airlines, and Project Management | CIO | Agile | Digital Transformation Expert
Digitally enhanced energy systems are helping airlines by providing collaborative platforms for reporting, tracking, smart monitoring, regulating and managing fuel consumption. There are many uses cases of these technologies, for example Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can help airlines in their selection of energy transition pathways, optimization of flight plans for reduced fuel consumption, 3D printed components for building recoverable resources, etc. Digitalization, Connectivity, data and analytics, “Internet of Things” (IoT), use of sensors and the Fourth Industrial Revolution will hugely reduce the environmental impact of the air travel.
-
Puneet Sachdev
Principal Solutions Architect @ Amazon | Digital, Cloud, GenAI | Sustainability Evangelist
To manage the impact on environment following things are key for an airline: 1. Have real, measurable and meaningful sustainability goals. e.g. Be netzero by 2040. Its important to have a vision 2. Have the capability to measure and report on all three scopes of GHG. You cannot control anything which you cannot measure Both of the above may require a change in suppliers or partners you work with so that they are aligned to your goals and are measuring their impact as well. 3. Adopt cloud to eliminate any on-prem data center racks. You can reduce your IT emissions by 70% by making a well thought out cloud move 4. Increase self service and leverage analytics to optimise on resources you consume e.g. fuel, parts, ULDs, airline desks etc.
-
Asad Bukhari MBA, MIS, PMP, AvMP
LinkedIn Top Voice for AI, Airlines, and Project Management | CIO | Agile | Digital Transformation Expert
IATA by leading the Aviation industry, has committed to achieving the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE), a global target set by International Energy Agency (IEA). In 2022 aviation industries had a share of 2% in global energy-related CO2 emissions, which is growing at faster pace due increased demand in air travel. While as per IEA tracking, Aviation is NOT ON TRACK sofar and needs to improve its efforts in achieving NZE targets. IT Systems being cross cutting technologies have great potential to transform energy systems, making them more connected, reliable, safe and sustainable.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Airline ManagementHow do you control your airline's fuel efficiency?
-
Airline ManagementHow can you optimize flight scheduling to reduce environmental impact?
-
AviationWhat are the latest trends in fleet expansion and how can you prepare for them?
-
Airline ManagementWhat are the key success factors for sustainable airline operations?