Bringing AI to the Cabin: Shaping the Future of Flight Operations and Efficiency
Bringing AI to the Cabin: The Impact on Flight Operations and Efficiency
With the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projecting that nearly 8.2 billion passengers will fly annually by 2037, the aviation industry faces both opportunities and challenges in meeting growing demand. At Acubed, we are exploring how AI might support Airbus’ aircraft-as-a-platform vision, particularly through enhancements in onboard connectivity and the development of future digital services for its open software platform (OSP). Our efforts look at how these innovations could one day benefit airlines and their passengers alike.
At the core of this exploration effort is Acubed’s Connected Airsights, which investigates how AI could help create a more seamless and connected in-flight experience. The work focuses on studying the potential for AI to support more personalized services that reflect passengers’ digital preferences, while also identifying ways such approaches might improve flight operations and customer satisfaction in the long term.
Turn Cost Centers into Profit Opportunities
As consumer expectations evolve, airlines must adapt to deliver more meaningful in-flight experiences–similar to the convenience passengers enjoy at home. Early trials with new devices and immersive technologies (such as the Apple Vision Pro headset on Dubai-based carrier Beyond suggest there is growing interest in how innovation could open the door to more personalized experiences.
Our experimentation at Acubed goes beyond simple personalization features such as movie recommendations or seat preferences. We are exploring the concept of a personalization engine and an AI assistant that could one day link services across the entire flight experience, connecting devices and airlines to create more dynamic interactions. A key question we are examining is how real-time passenger preferences might help reimagine in-flight services and improve operational efficiency, while potentially opening new value for airlines.
Overcoming Challenges to Bring AI Onboard
For AI to have an impact on aviation, it must overcome challenges unique to the in-flight environment. Limited onboard compute capabilities, variable connectivity and the wide range of passenger services all present constraints that require careful study. Our team is examining how light weight and multi-modal AI approaches can be designed to work within these constraints, with the aim of supporting functions such as meal service, retail, entertainment and other contextual needs across different flight stages.
Connected Future
As travel evolves, AI has the potential of elevating the in-flight experience with more personalized content and services. At the same time, new generations of connectivity, such as low earth orbit constellations, are providing higher bandwidth internet and wider coverage. At Acubed, we are investigating how these parallel advancements could work together. Our exploration focuses on developing concepts for multi-modal AI solutions that adapt to varying levels of connectivity, onboard constraints and passenger needs.
By enabling smarter, connected and more personalized experiences, AI has the potential to support operational efficiency and create new value opportunities for airlines. Just as importantly, it could help enhance passenger satisfaction by tailoring services that feel timely and relevant. Our work explores how understanding the context of a passenger's journey might one day translate into greater comfort and convenience through connected services. While much of this work remains exploratory, we believe AI has strong potential to support more efficient, intuitive and passenger-centric air travel in the years ahead.
Are you interested in joining the Acubed team? Check out our job postings here.