From slashing time spent on hold with call centres and improving training for cabin crew to finding the most efficient flight routes, generative artificial intelligence is expected to have a big impact on the airline industry.
At the Dubai Assembly for Generative AI, industry experts said airlines were approaching a step change in the way they operated due to the acceleration of automated technology.
While traditional AI can perform specific tasks and functions centred on predefined rules and patterns, generative AI learns the structures of data to generate new data with similar characteristics.
The technology is being used to improve the way several industries operate.
Customer care meets efficiency
After years of cutbacks enforced by the pandemic, airlines that made the most savings are now facing a critical battle for survival, while those that invested in staff and customer experience are enjoying a boom in business, the panellists said.
Speaking at the event was chief operations officer at Emirates Airline, Adel Al Redha, who said that AI could take the passenger experience "to the next level".
“By using AI, we can give the customer the experience they deserve while at the same time, provide companies the efficiency they've been asking for and looking for,” he said.
“At Emirates, we have taken a step change in training our cabin crew from traditional trainers to using generative AI that is delivering a very complicated training programme.
“Many companies have gone towards cost reductions and savings.
“Maybe they have survived for a short term, but they're dying now because they have cut down on the level of product innovation, investment and customer experience in what they can offer.
“Now we need to take the customer experiences to a different level.”
AI improving customer service
From using AI to plan the most efficient routes for aircraft, to using generative AI to help customers book flights, check-in at airports or make changes to their itineraries, the technology has huge potential to streamline the industry.
Improving technology has already resulted in more people booking flights direct with Emirates online, with that trend likely to continue as automated technology continues to advance.
Mr Al Redha said Emirates had to be ready to adapt to the changing technological needs of its customers.
“Five years ago, maybe we were dreaming to get 5 per cent or 10 per cent of our online bookings done directly by customers,” he said.
“We have had to deal with the technology, investment and the wider availability of devices.
“Now, we’re seeing more than 50 per cent of our customers do their business directly with us.
“Not too far in the future, we will see maybe close to 80 per cent of our customers wanting to do that."
Airlines are already using AI tools to manage aircraft use, helping reduce the standing time at airports and cutting emissions.
Similar technology can also be used to improve productivity of airline staff, panellists said.
“When we look at generative AI, we see two big opportunities for aviation companies,” said Tom Isherwood, a partner in digital and analytics at Quantum Black AI by McKinsey.
“First is in significantly improving the customer experience, and second is significantly increasing the productivity of employees.
“When we look at what you can do with customer experience, the sky is the limit.
“You can reimagine entirely the booking experience so that you can give suggestions or ideas.
“You can actually answer questions on the spot about the itinerary that maybe people would otherwise have to call up a call centre to understand.
“That could be a much better experience that could also lead to revenue growth.”
Despite the potential improvements, concerns remain over how customer data will be secured when using AI programmes.
“I think privacy and security is a big concern when it comes to the adoption of generative AI technologies in general,” said Aysar Yousef, data and AI lead at Microsoft UAE.
“The challenge is from the fact you are handing over a piece of data to a model to process, and then generate content.
“Security is a common concern we hear from multiple industries, including aviation.”
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
