AI and Digital Overhaul in Aviation: Opportunities Meet Safety Imperatives

When you walk through the bustling halls of the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, the buzz isn’t just about new routes or greener fuels – it’s about bits, bytes and algorithms. Two executives from Hitit – Nevda Onursal Karaağaç, the chief executive, and Aras Kubilay, the man in charge of industry engagement – spent a good chunk of the conference urging airlines to modernise, but not by throwing the whole IT house down in one reckless swing.

“Airlines are extremely complex businesses and they operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Kubilay told Euronews. In plain English, you can’t simply power‑off a carrier for weeks to replace its backbone systems. The challenge is to upgrade the digital scaffolding that keeps flights on schedule while keeping passengers happy – a tightrope act, no doubt.

Even though the industry recognises the pressure, the numbers tell a sobering story. A survey of senior aviation executives last year showed 72 % flagging digital transformation as “critical”. At this year’s festival, some insiders hinted the figure might be north of 90 %, yet only about a quarter – roughly 27 % – of airlines have actually moved beyond talk to concrete actions. Kubilay warned that if carriers stall for another two or three years, they could be staring at costly setbacks.

His solution? Take it step by step. Rather than ripping out an entire IT ecosystem in one go, hit the low‑hanging fruit first. Identify a pain point, pilot a new tool, evaluate the outcome, and then decide whether to double‑down. “You replace parts as needed and then, if the results are positive, you keep going in that direction,” he explained, sounding almost like a mechanic who prefers to change one bolt at a time.

Artificial intelligence, of course, is the glittering centerpiece of that digital makeover. But, as the Hitit duo stressed, AI should never be a buzzword slapped onto a project without a clear purpose. Do you want to boost revenue, cut operating costs, or make the passenger journey smoother? Pick one (or two) and build AI around that goal. “If they say they are going to do everything at once, simply by adding an AI label, they will spend money and nothing will happen,” Kubilay warned, a note of caution that felt oddly familiar to anyone who’s seen tech hype run amok.

Hitit is already embedding AI across its suite – from cost accounting and reporting to handling operational hiccups. Karaağaç highlighted a neat feature: instead of a analyst typing in a dozen parameters to pull a report, you can just ask the system in plain language and get the answer instantly. It sounds simple, but that little convenience can free up staff to focus on higher‑value tasks.

Weather‑related disruptions are another arena where AI can shine. Kubilay described a model that marries runway orientation, wind patterns and historical weather data to predict when a flight might need to be rescheduled. With such foresight, airlines could reroute or re‑time flights before a storm actually hits, rather than scrambling after the fact.

Still, AI isn’t a silver bullet. The executives recounted a cautionary anecdote – an unnamed carrier let an AI‑driven system automatically approve refunds that exceeded the original ticket price and even authorised unauthorised flight changes. The result? A costly mess that could have been avoided with tighter controls.

“In such a sensitive and complex sector as air transport, it may be necessary to think twice,” Kubilay said, underscoring that safety and regulatory compliance must stay front‑and‑center. Any AI tool, especially those interacting with customers, needs clear rules, limits and human oversight. Technology should aid decision‑making, not replace it outright.

Karaağaç echoed that sentiment, noting that developing aviation‑grade tech demands more than just clever coding. It requires rigorous testing, certification and an ongoing dialogue with regulators. “Safety is non‑negotiable,” she affirmed, “and that will always guide how we innovate.”

So, as airlines eye the horizon of a more digital, AI‑enhanced future, the message from Hitit is clear: proceed, but do it thoughtfully, incrementally, and never at the expense of the safety net that keeps the skies trustworthy.