How to Land the Future of Connected Aviation 

Every year, airports around the world welcome about 4.5 billion people. Data from the Airport Councils International indicates that there was a 65% decrease in passenger numbers in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The “pre-covid” numbers are expected to recover at an annual rate of 3.8% until 2040. There will also be a 2.3% annual growth rate in the air cargo sector.  

The airline sector has the highest financial risk. Factors like heavy fuel bills, inefficient operations, and delays can pose a significant threat and affect sustainability over the next few years.   

• Technology ranging from FIDS, AI/ML, 5G connectivity, and cloud solutions can help to optimize the operations of an airline and reduce financial risk.  

Where Do You Start With Connected Aviation? 

Many airport operators are interested in the concept of connected aviation. However, most of them usually ask: where do we start? 

The term connected aviation looks like a mindboggling idea. It might even be hard to understand what it means and what it doesn’t. 

An important first step is to address On-Time-Performance in the turnaround time of an aircraft. Delays are expensive, they create operational challenges, drain buffer time into airline schedules, require additional customer support, burn extra fuel, and can reduce customer loyalty.  

The journey towards landing the future of connected aviation starts with integrated real-time communication. Modernizing Land, Mobile, and Radio (LMR). 

Land-Mobile-Radio Modernization 

Integrated real-time communication is vital. It contributes toward advancing operations and realizing the future of connected aviation. It is an important first step in the digital transformation of an airport and lays the foundation for more advanced use cases.  

• Legacy communication systems like P25 and TETRA will become obsolete in the coming years.  

Connected Operations 

To enable connected assets, there is the need for massive machine-type communications. Applications like asset monitoring contribute to unlocking intelligence, advancement of operations, and improving agility.  

• During the turnaround process of an aircraft, AI on video feeds boost staff productivity and optimizes the usage of existing assets through data analytics and sharing.  

Private Networks 

Smart airport concepts need a profound digital infrastructure which will enable sustainable and autonomous operations. Private 5G and 4G networks play a key role in enabling this digitalization. 

An airport is a complex and huge ecosystem. There are various processes and multiple stakeholders. Each stakeholder is responsible for executing a particular process, either in the cargo or passenger department. 

All the parties involved in an airport including airlines, airport authorities, maintenance, ground handlers, caterers, and retailers among others must operate seamlessly and communicate perfectly to provide the best and safest experience to passengers. 

• Private networks will ensure that there is seamless communication without the intrusion of third parties; that is because private networks are secured. 

The key features of private networks especially private 5G are security, reliability, and availability. Private 5G/4G enable a breadth of applications. For example, real-time data from connected devices and aircraft can be used to optimize operational efficiency. 

Artificial Intelligence 

It is important to harness the power of artificial intelligence to land the future of connected aviation. AI in aviation is expected to reach $3.69 billion by 2027.  

AI is disrupting the way airlines approach their operations, data and revenue streams. The top airlines around the world are using AI to avoid costly mistakes, improve operational efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction. 

Artificial intelligence is important for connected aviation because it makes sense of data. It helps automate and streamline analytics, customer service, machinery maintenance and other internal processes. 

• For a long time, air traffic control and management have exclusively been done by humans. Because things in the clouds are constantly changing, a human touch is necessary. However, including AI will have significant benefits. It will help with things such as safety assessments, flow management, and flight planning. There can be automation to some extent.  

Flight Management Systems (FMS)  

FMS is a specialized computer system in an aircraft that automates a wide range of in-flight tasks. This reduces workload and prevents the need to take navigators or engineers on board. It takes care of the plane’s position, flight plan and navigation. It is an indispensable system in a modern aircraft. 

• For connected aviation to thrive, the FMS of the future will need to have several artificial intelligent solutions. This will make it possible to make the most of external and onboard data such as ongoing air traffic, route efficiency, and weather conditions. 

Automation 

 Automation is important in connected aviation. With automation, scalability is no longer a headache. That is because automated robots can be deployed anywhere, wherever they are needed. 

• With automation, more can be accomplished with fewer resources. Automation has high accuracy levels. 

The Bottom-Line 

The aviation industry is dynamic. Airports are constantly changing the way they operate to become more efficient, secure, viable and safer. They are adopting and implementing the latest technologies. 

At Echelon Edge, our team deals with connected aviation solutions through which an airline will gain a competitive advantage. They will improve the on-time performance (OTP) of aircraft and maximize their capacity. Leveraging artificial intelligence and augmented reality in the aviation industry will lead to collaborative decision-making.