Tom Fairbairn, Distinguished Engineer, Solace, says digital transformation is now a “constant, iterative operational imperative” for a post pandemic aviation industry.
The post-pandemic resurgence in air travel has been swift and significant.
But for the aviation industry, this rebound isn’t just a sign of recovery, it’s a high-stakes stress test. Digital transformation is no longer a long-term strategy. It’s a constant, iterative operational imperative.
In my experience working with complex, real-time systems across global industries I’ve seen the combination of two technologies, AI and Event-Driven Integration, play a significant role in re-shaping the future of aviation.
Airlines and airports are already adopting them, but how quicklyand how effectively can they do so at scale?
AI is beginning to deliver on its operational promise
For years, AI in aviation was associated with hype more than outcomes. That’s changing. British Airways, once plagued by delays and notorious IT failures, has invested £100 million to modernise its operations. Early results suggest it’s working: 86% of BA flights from Heathrow departed on time in Q1 2025 – its best on-time performance to date.
BA’s new AI-driven systems aren’t just reactive, they’re predictive. They reroute aircraft based on weather, proactively manage gate assignments and determine the best course of action when delays are inevitable. According to CEO Sean Doyle, the tools available to staff now are a “game changer.”
Virgin Atlantic is taking a complementary approach. Its AI Champion Apprenticeship programme empowers non-technical staff to adopt AI in day-to-day decision-making.
From flight operations to finance, AI is becoming embedded across teams with effective guidance and guardrails. This bottom-up investment in AI fluency will be just as critical as top-down system upgrades.
This shift proves that AI in aviation isn’t just for data scientists, it’s now a growing core competence for everyone involved in delivering an excellent passenger experience.
Real-time demands require a real-time platform
While AI is enabling smarter decisions, those decisions are only as effective as the infrastructure that supports them. That’s where Event-Driven Integration powered by an Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) comes in.
In aviation, delays often stem not from poor planning but from slow, siloed information flows. Traditional systems still rely on batch updates and manual processes that are ill-suited to real-time operations.
With the proliferation of AI today, traditional approaches to application and data integration are no longer “good enough.” They need to be faster, smarter, decoupled and more real-time.
They need to be event-driven.
Underpinned by EDA, systems can react instantly to events, like a passenger checking in, a bag being loaded or a flight being rerouted.
Consider this: Some legacy systems take longer to register a gate change than it takes for passengers to walk between gates. That’s an unacceptable lag in a world where passengers have come to expect instant mobile updates and staff need real-time coordination.
EDA makes real-time choreography possible. It helps optimise everything from staffing and security queues to refuelling and maintenance scheduling. More importantly, it liberates data for third-party partner services, such as taxi companies or car hire firms, to respond to airport activity as it happens.
Together, AI and EDA bring agility
The synergy between AI and EDA is what makes them so powerful. AI systems generate insights; EDA ensures those insights are acted upon in real time.
Take the example of carry-on luggage monitoring. AI-enabled computer vision can detect when overhead bin space is likely to run out. Currently, that insight triggers an instant notification to gate staff, who can begin checking in additional bags before passengers board. Imagine if that could update passengers via their mobile devices during the boarding process rather than waiting for gate staff to make an announcement. It’s a small intervention, but one that prevents delays and improves satisfaction across the board.
Airlines also benefit from EDA in more strategic ways. Real-time fuel management data reduces emissions. Dynamic updates on passenger flow allow for smarter crew assignments. Even in-flight services, like meal counts and entertainment preferences, can be adjusted on-the-fly to reflect the latest data.
The challenge: bridging legacy with agility
Of course, the adoption of these technologies isn’t without obstacles. Many aviation systems are safety-critical and deeply embedded. Legacy integration remains a major challenge for CIOs.
To succeed, IT leaders need to architect hybrid models, ones that embrace modern tools like EDA and AI without compromising legacy systems still essential to safety and compliance. This requires observability, governance, and strong data lineage practices to avoid losing control of increasingly decentralised digital ecosystems.
It also requires cultural alignment. Virgin Atlantic’s approach, putting AI champions in key departments, is one way of bridging the people gap in transformation programmes. Technology adoption isn’t just about capability; it’s about culture.
A defining moment for aviation CIOs
The first quarter of 2025 feels like a test. The real challenge will come during the peak summer season. Can airlines sustain this new digital resilience under pressure – CIOs now sit at the centre of that question. Those who lead with an intelligent, real-time strategy, combining predictive AI with a responsive event-driven integration platform, will not only weather the next surge – they will redefine what operational excellence looks like in aviation.
For an industry long defined by legacy systems and slow change, this is the moment to act decisively. Passengers aren’t just flying again, they’re expecting more. And with the right architecture and mindset, aviation can finally deliver.
