The aviation industry faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, which not only slowed growth but also forced a rapid transformation across every facet of the sector—changes that seemed unimaginable before 2020.
However, the pandemic didn’t initiate these shifts; it accelerated them. Many airlines already had plans to embrace digital transformation, and the global crisis fast-tracked their implementation.
Today, airlines are investing heavily in cloud-based services, data management solutions, and automation technologies—tools that have long existed but are now central to the industry’s evolving digital strategy.
Operating on razor-thin margins and highly susceptible to volatile market forces, such as fluctuating fuel prices, airlines must embrace these digital strategies to stay competitive. Meeting the expectations of a new generation of tech-savvy customers, who demand seamless, digital-first experiences, is no longer optional—it’s essential for long-term success.
The benefits of a digital strategy for the aviation industry
One of the main benefits of a digital strategy is that it captures and generates data points allowing for faster delivery of services, as well as analysis into how things could be made better or more efficient.
If the aviation industry focuses on digitalisation and integrates AI, data, and other technologies, we could see improvements in fuel efficiencies, cost savings, new revenue opportunities, increased passenger engagement and brand advocacy from customers, better passenger flows through airports, and most important of all, increased levels of safety.
Digitalisation in Aviation
Airlines will give customers more control over their flight experience through an omnichannel approach
With everything from food shopping to paying bills becoming easier to do online, every industry has had to start thinking about their service in terms of digital impact.
The aviation industry is no exception, and while we’ve been able to book flights and tailor experiences online for years, the industry has stepped up the online experience considerably in the wake of the pandemic.
Digitalisation, when implemented correctly, should offer a seamless experience for the customer.
Omnichannel delivery allows for a continuous customer experience no matter which device is being used to access information. Customers can book using their laptop at home, and purchase extra luggage space or entertainment add-ons via their phone on the way to the airport.
Notifications and updates allow customers to stay informed of changes to the flight schedule, rather than only finding out once they get to the terminal.
Lastly, more and more of us are expecting to be able to check-in via mobile, instead of going through long queues.
Digitalisation enhances customer control, which in turn significantly boosts customer satisfaction. According to the 2023 Global Passenger Survey by IATA, the percentage of airline passengers willing to share their personal data for better, more personalized services has risen to 75%. This reflects an increasing comfort among passengers with sharing biometric data and personal information in exchange for more streamlined and convenient travel experiences, such as faster processing through airports and enhanced customer service.
In 2023, Delta Airlines' loyalty program continued to see significant growth. The airline earned close to $7 billion in remuneration from its partnership with American Express, reflecting a 22% year-over-year increase. This growth in loyalty program revenue underscores the increasing importance of personalized, digital-first experiences as Delta continues to invest in enhancing customer engagement through its SkyMiles program and premium offerings.
Digitalisation of flight systems
Digitalisation doesn’t just help customers, it can also help the aircraft pilots by assisting with every stage of the flight, improving overall operations.
A network of apps help with flight processes, improving operational efficiency, situational awareness, collaboration ability between pilot and co-pilot, and compliance with safety protocols.
Each digital tool helps reduce the burden on pilots, improving efficiency, as well as safety. Establishing a single digital ecosystem for application testing and training makes it easier for pilots and ground-based operators to interact more efficiently, sharing data in real-time.
Greater consistency and communication can be achieved by providing everyone involved in flight operations with the same information, regardless of where they are situated. Having more eyes on the same data increases the likelihood of detecting problems or opportunities for improvement.
Digital tools are changing aircraft design
It’s not just the operations and customer service areas of the industry that can be improved with digital tools. The very design of aircraft is changing thanks to new technology.
New prototype models are designed and tested in an entirely digital space, with computers able to simulate weather patterns, stresses, emergency scenarios, and more, to completely test a new design in ways that couldn’t possibly be accurately recreated in the real world.
When prototypes are built and tested in the real world however, again data is helping make things more accurate, with the testing of a new aircraft design requiring thousands of data parameters be tested, capturing tens of thousands of data points every second. Even a full team of scientists couldn’t analyse all that data, but machines can.
Mechanical computer-aided designs (MCAD) and electronic computer-aided designs (ECAD) are widely used across aviation and other technical industries, but new technology allows for systems and designs to be synced automatically, while also highlighting the changes for human review. These designs can then be viewed in virtual reality, allowing designs to see the project from all angles, in greater detail than ever before.
This kind of virtual reality-mapping can also be used in maintenance and repair, with engineers working with virtual reality glasses that display what needs to be done.
To reap the real rewards of digitalisation the industry needs to put it at the centre of every decision moving forward. Digitalisation should not be an afterthought but the first point of call for new initiatives as well as existing processes. The aviation industry shouldn’t see digitalisation as a challenge but rather, an exciting opportunity to grow.
