Aviation experts to examine airlines’ ability to thrive in data and digital transformation age

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stated that supporting airlines’ ability to thrive in the coming age of data and digital transformation will be the focus of the 2019 Aviation Data Symposium.

The Director General and CEO of IATA Alexandre de Juniac stated this in a press statement made available to PortNews in Lagos.

“Air travel demand is expected to double by 2037. Accommodating that growth safely and efficiently while meeting rising passenger expectations for a more personalized experience, depends on our ability to better integrate data and embrace digital transformation in our industry,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac, who will deliver remarks at the symposium.

The Aviation Data Symposium will take place in Athens, Greece, 25-27 June with Aegean Airlines as the host airline and principal sponsor. Session tracks will cover data and digital transformation in the following areas: Passenger, Safety and Flight Operations, Payment and Fintech, Air Freight and Data Science and Technology.

In addition to de Juniac, some of the 70+ announced speakers include: Dimitris Gerogiannis, Chief Executive Officer; Aegean Airlines, Charles Girard, Customer Data Officer, Air France KLM, Dr. Dirk Jungnickel, Senior Vice President Enterprise Analytics, Emirates Group, Christian Langer, Chief Digital Officer, Lufthansa Group,  Michael Shores, Director, Data Science, United Airlines  and  Virender Pal, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, flynas.

Others are Matthew Evans, Vice President, Digital Transformation, Airbus, Jon Petersen, Head of Data Science Aviation, Uber , Vince Chirico, Senior Vice President Global Network and Technology Partners, CWT and Amir Amidi, Managing Partner, Plug and Play.
“I call aviation the Business of Freedom, because it liberates us from the constraints of geography and distance. It gives people the ability to explore the world, to build communities, and do business globally. In doing so, it enriches our lives and our planet. To ensure that the Business of Freedom continues to grow the benefits it generates, while managing a doubling in passenger demand, we must make greater use of data across our business activities and support digital transformation of our industry, all while respecting our customers’ privacy. It’s a tall order. Stakeholder engagement and alignment will be crucial to achieving success,” said de Juniac.

This year, the Aviation Data Symposium will also include a one-day AI Lab, featuring case studies of how AI is being used in the air transport industry to improve the operation and customer experience, for disruption management, and other areas.