How the Internet of Things is transforming aviation

The Internet of Things promises to have widespread
ramifications. In aviation, its effects could include reducing
travel time and increasing safety and passenger comfort.
However, this opportunity will be realized only with international
coordination and with business and government responding to
the profound economic and political questions it raises.
Machines will rule the world! Although not exactly as Hollywood
proposes. Today there is a strong movement towards the
Internet of Things, where machines communicate with other
machines to improve our lives. CISCO estimates that there will
be 50 billion internet-connected devices by 2020 − more than six
times the world’s population. Imagine all these devices
connected in a very smart way, “thinking” and planning.
Everything will be bigger, better, faster and cheaper than ever
before.
Nowhere is this truer than in my own industry, aviation. The
Internet of Things promises a new vision of aviation operations
and business models.
Optimized routes − New software is already being developed to
enhance the monitoring of planes and to allow them to take “free
routes” outside predefined air corridors. When airplanes are
connected to each other and to points on the land, they will be
able to communicate with each other to calculate ahead of time
where their flight trajectories intersect so that accidents can be
avoided. Taking the shortest route to their destination will
significantly reduce travel time and save fuel and carbon
emissions.
Optimized traveller experience − Satellite navigation systems will
be much more accurate than the current radar and radio
navigation systems, meaning flights will nearly always be
exactly on time. Satellite navigation is already beginning with the
Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) system,
for which some airplanes must have the necessary equipment
fitted in Europe by 2017 and in the United States by 2020. The
passenger experience will be further improved by “smart
airports” with more speedy and efficient check-in, security and
customs procedures. Dubai is among several airports already
offering smart gates with automatic identification. Security
systems will know to expect a passenger at a specific time and
manage clearance without queues; flights will be ready on time
because aircraft systems will have been remotely inspected and
repaired where necessary, based on systems health monitoring,
meaning no more airplane delays at the gate; the aircraft will
provide connection information for passengers during the flight;
and ground transportation will be ready at the right time – all in a
seamless and transparent way.
New business models − Many companies, even small ones, will
have the opportunity to operate globally with local flavours
provided by partners around the world. The sharing economy
could reach the air travel industry, through individuals being able
to easily resell their flight tickets, or places on private jets being
rented out.
Increasing number of airborne vehicles − Air transportation
needs to become more efficient as the number of travellers
grows due to global population growth and the rise of the middle
classes in developing countries. Pilot shortage could be a
challenge – or perhaps not, as fully automated commercial
flights will soon be feasible. Also, drones of varying sizes will be
part of daily life – Amazon is already testing them for delivering
products, and a range of other uses is imaginable. As the
number of airborne vehicles increases rapidly, a much more
integrated air traffic management system will be necessary.
To transform this vision into reality, there is still much work to
do. For example, machines will need to understand each other,
as the Internet of Things will work only if a common language
connects all objects in the same system; machines and people
will need to be protected against cyberattacks – if planes’ routes
are linked and dependent on smart machines, hacking could
have catastrophic consequences; governments will need to have
a more global mindset and work together.
How can vested interests in the status quo be addressed? Will
countries allow planes to travel “freely” in their airspace? Does
regulation have to be global, or could it work on a regional basis?
Can global regulations realistically be achieved? If certain
regions or countries are excluded from the benefits of efficient
air transportation enabled by the Internet of Things, will it deepen
existing geopolitical divides? Will developing countries be left
behind, or might they leapfrog and avoid adaptation costs?
Delays at major US airports alone are projected to cost up to
$20 billion by 2020, according to the World Economic Forum’s
report Connected World: Hyperconnected Travel and
Transportation in Action. The Internet of Things could reduce
these costs and create other gains. More efficient air travel
could make trade and supply chains more efficient, and
increased safety given the reduced scope for human error could
unlock the benefits of opening up the skies to more air traffic.
Conceivably, more efficiently connecting the countries of the
world could even promote global cooperation and integration.