Flying High: Aviation Future Week Wraps Up

Emirates and the Museum of the Future organized Aviation Future Week (AFW), which ended today. Leading figures in air freight, maintenance, overhaul, and repair (MRO), aviation and aerospace, and logistics were gathered together. The event's forward-thinking program featured specialists and scholars collaborating closely to create ground-breaking tactics and feasible XR and Gen AI use cases with an aviation focus. The event, which took place at the Museum of the Future, acted as a showcase for futuristic goods, showcasing the newest advancements in onboard technology, utilizing enhancements in maintenance procedures, and facilitating smooth ground transportation experiences.

Adel Al Redha, Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer of Emirates, said: “With a rich programme and a display of remarkable technologies and game-changing solutions, the last three days have forged transformative discussions that will help deliver real impact and contribute to the industry’s progress across a gamut of pressing issues. By being open to different perspectives, we can all acknowledge the real challenges and where innovation and embracing technologies can truly make a difference.”

The event's final day it looked ahead to the future potential of Web3, AI and XR to drive better customer experiences and enhance aviation workflows.

Frank Meyer, Etihad Airways' Chief Digital Officer, set the scene with an opening keynote that focused on how advancements in computing power, data analytics, and machine learning are revolutionizing the airline industry. According to Meyer, airlines can overcome legacy systems, enhance the customer experience through personalization and automation, improve operational efficiency by streamlining processes, optimize inventory and asset management with predictive technologies, and ensure reliability in air travel timing. The ultimate goal is to create a more resilient, agile business that delivers tangible benefits to the company and its employees.

Following that, a panel around ‘Leveraging Automated Feedback to Transform Customer Experience’ featuring Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards; Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer of Etihad Airways; Miguel Leitmann, Chief Executive Officer of Vision-Box and Dr. Nils Lukas, Assistant Professor at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, discussed the latest advancements in AI-powered feedback collection and analysis, and how businesses can use these insights to drive improvements in products, services, and overall customer satisfaction. Experts emphasized the importance of data sharing among stakeholders, such as airlines, airports, and government agencies, and the need for collaboration between academia and industry to harness AI's full potential.

Leitmann highlighted the transformative impact of AI and machine learning (ML) on airport operations, with Emirates as a well-known use case.

Dr. Lukas noted: “As AI models evolve, maintaining confidentiality and minimising algorithmic bias are key challenges,” Lukas said. “We are researching technologies like differential privacy and homomorphic encryption to reduce privacy risks while maintaining model accuracy.”

The final panel, titled ‘Combining the Power of XR and Gen AI to Revolutionise Aviation Workflows’ explored how extended reality (XR) and generative AI can be combined to enhance training, improve operational efficiency, and create new opportunities for innovation. The session featured Timothy Jung, Chair Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University; Tariq Halawani, Executive Director at Microsoft Solutions in the UAE; Stephan Muller, GCC Director at Whoop; and Amira Al Awadhi, Senior Vice President for HR Operations and Systems at Emirates.

Participants agreed that combining XR and generative AI offers enormous opportunities to improve quality of life and increase workforce productivity. Timothy Jung, Chair Professor of XR at Manchester Metropolitan University, emphasized how advanced technologies can improve education and training programs, tailoring them to the future’s needs.

Jung said: “With the help of Gen AI and big data, training can be tailored to the needs of each individual. Personalised training means that the content, pace, and style of learning can be adjusted based on the learner’s preferences and performance, making the training more effective and efficient.”

Tariq Halawani, Executive Director of Enterprise Solutions at Microsoft UAE, likened adopting new technology to cultural change and said Microsoft is on a learning curve with its customers.

“This ongoing learning cycle is crucial for continuous improvement and innovation.”

Halawani added that AI tools should be accessible to all knowledge workers to maximise the benefits. Microsoft has seen a 10-12% increase in productivity among employees who use advanced technology.

According to Stephan Muller, Director of GCC at Whoop, wearable technology can transform team performance.

“Metrics like sleep, strain and recovery can illuminate what wearers are experiencing, enabling companies to create wellness routines accordingly.”

In addition to the riveting sessions, participants at the three-day event explored exhibits and technologies that have the potential to help power the commercial aviation industry in the future:

• Visitors to AFW tested the Biometric Tunnel, an enhanced barrier-free airport experience for travellers, enabled by advanced biometrics in partnership with Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs (GDRFA) and Dubai Airports.
• The Sign Language Robot, developed specifically to support hearing-impaired travellers, uses hand gestures to establish more efficient communication for check-in, wayfinding, and answering general questions.
• The Emirates VR Experience is a future focused enhancement tailored for people of determination with the purpose of allaying their travel anxiety through experiencing airport touchpoints to familiarise themselves with the on ground journey including check-in, immigration, security checks, and other facilities.  
• Panasonic and Thales showcased their next-generation inflight entertainment systems, with rich display capabilities for more immersive experiences, including many multi-purpose connectivity options, personalisation features and more. The Thales display replicates what’s in store for the Emirates A350. Panasonic presented MAYA, which fuses physical and digital technologies for ultra-widescreen viewing, high-definition immersion and customisation, and other functionalities not seen before in the industry.
• The Autonomous data on every angle of the aircraft under maintenance.
• Augmented Reality maintenance technologies demonstrated how an x-ray view to investigate the innermost workings of any part of an aircraft and other intricacies helps to deliver more precise inspections, and significantly cut maintenance times.
• Touching on ways the industry is working to reduce waste and creatively repurpose aircraft components, ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ - a unique capsule collection of luggage, bags and accessories – all fashioned from upcycled materials from retrofitted aircraft were on display.

A range of topics was covered in invitation-only workshops, such as the customer journey in ten years, how aviation can balance growth and transition to a low carbon future, with particular attention to the UAE; what customers of Emirates Group expect from Al Maktoum International Airport in terms of seamless, interconnected, world-class, and multi-modal (air, sea, and rail) logistics operations; how to use technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to address critical issues like airspace capacity management, flight-deck wellbeing, pilot training, retention, and addressing pilot shortages; and how to incorporate ideas, initiatives, suggestions, and perspectives of youth into the organization's decision-making processes.

Aviation Future Week

AFW is scheduled for October 15–17, 2024, and is expected to draw ministers from the UAE, high-ranking government officials, aviation industry executives, and influential figures from the MRO and logistics sectors. The global gathering offers a forum for showcasing ideas for the aviation industry's future and an open discussion of issues like passenger experience, accommodating demand, improving air freight and logistics, and incorporating artificial intelligence into aviation.