A paradigm shift in the aviation industry with digital twin, blockchain, and AI technologies

The aviation industry faces challenges in shifting to a next-generation business model that combines digital technologies and operational capabilities to deliver greater efficiency, security, transparency, end-user customer engagement, and return on investment. On top of this, the industry must continually improve safety and services, cut costs, and create new value. This new wave of digital transformation has led to improvements in airport and airline business processes and operations by supporting the coordination of actions and collaborative decision making across stakeholders. Digital twins and blockchain technologies that are supercharged with artificial intelligence (AI) represent some of the most promising emerging solutions. AI extends these technologies by enabling them to look at what-if scenarios and simulations, providing previously unavailable insights. This improved situational awareness of cause and effect supports more agile and sustainable decision making. With the simulation of aviation operations, such as airport ground operations and aircraft maintenance, AI-enabled digital twins and blockchain allow operators to monitor, predict, and identify potential issues and failures. With blockchain technology, transactions in operations become more secure, transparent, and traceable. It also reduces record-keeping costs and facilitates data sharing between stakeholders, which is the foundation of supporting collaborative decision making in the aviation industry. AI-based technologies, in and of themselves, provide a powerful tool to further optimise operational efficacy and improve customer satisfaction. Most importantly, they enhance the whole aviation ecosystem with the power of data. This chapter defines the concepts of these emerging technologies, highlights their beneficial characteristics, and illustrates some important use cases in the lifecycle of the aviation system.