Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) have long been sparking conversation around what the future of transport will look like. With recent major developments in the AAM sector, this is evolving from concept to imminent reality. Balkiz Sarihan, CEO & Head of UAM at Airbus shared her insights on this journey and what it could mean for our cities.
Firstly discussing the promise of AAM, Sarihan described what adding a new mobility layer to a city would look like and the potential it offers for revolutionising how we live our lives and design our cities.
The conversation also touched on the challenges that come with integrating this technology into the broader ecosystem, where Sarihan cautioned that patience and safety are paramount and fostering collaboration across stakeholders is essential.
Looking ahead, Sarihan unpacked the steps need to mature AAM aircraft, mentioning investment, safety standards, and user interface.
Questions asked:
Can you briefly summarise the transformative potential of Advanced Air Mobility?
What are the major challenges you foresee when it comes to the broader ecosystem of Urban Air Mobility? How are you pre-empting these?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising every industry and aviation is no exception. Its transformative power already spans a multitude of applications and more doors are opening as the technology develops. However, its rapid integration into this safety critical sector requires a measured approach, facilitated by expert understanding of technology and the industry.
EUROCAE, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment, plays a pivotal role in advancing the aviation industry through its range of standards. The non-profit organisation brings together manufacturers, operators, regulators, and other aviation stakeholders to develop and promote standards for aviation equipment and related systems. Taking a proactive approach to standardisation, EUROCAE is instrumental in ensuring the aviation industry can harness the benefits of AI without compromising safety and trustworthiness.
Watch below for five-minute insights from Anna von Groote, Director General, EUROCAE on the importance of standardisation as the industry navigates the role of AI.
Questions asked include:
Can you articulate the impact AI has had on the industry? And how have you noticed this change in recent years?
How do you tackle the issue of AI trustworthiness when thinking about safety within the industry?
With AI evolving at such a rapid pace, how do you approach its standardisation and do you anticipate having to change this approach if its applications within the industry continue to proliferate?
At Aerospace Tech Week, Willie Walsh, Director General, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) joined for a five minute discussion on the industry landscape. During the interview, he outlined a path for tackling the sustainability challenge and looked at the failures of the Single European Sky (SES) deal.
Underscoring the critical role of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in navigating the decarbonisation of the industry, Walsh briefly mapped out the role governments must play in stimulating its scale up. Highlighting the concerning disparity between the US and European SAF production, Walsh cautioned that we are not seeing the right balance between incentives and mandates being adopted internationally, and governments are failing to recognise the opportunity in front of them.
Walsh urged that effectively addressing the sustainability challenge will take the support from every member of the ecosystem including governments, regulators, OEMs etc. Singling out fuel suppliers, Walsh said:
“Traditional fuel suppliers who have made hundreds of billions in profit off the industry over the years need to significantly accelerate their investment in the production of SAF […] They’re part of the problem, they’ve got to be part of the solution.”
Unpacking the flaws of the SES deal which Walsh previously condemned as a “failure,” he highlighted its initial promises: a tenfold improvement in safety, tripling Europe’s airspace capacity, substantial cost reduction, and a 10 per cent decrease in CO2 emissions. Criticising the deal for falling short on all four fronts, Walsh described the deal as “very disappointing given the critical importance of all of those issues.”
Questions asked:
You described the EU’s Single European Sky deal as a failure. Which areas in particular did the agreement fall short and to what extent will this impact the industry’s ability to modernise European air traffic management?
What do you see as the major challenges when it comes to meeting the net zero by 2050 goal and how many of these are going to require government involvement to overcome them?
How do you propose we catalyse the mindset shift towards a more inclusive ecosystem involving governments, suppliers, airlines etc.?
The MRO landscape is on the brink of a transformation and Karen Miller believes its digitalisation will unlock “phenomenal opportunities.”
In a recent interview, Miller, GM, Connected Aero highlighted the critical importance of digitalisation in the MRO landscape. The 10-minute conversation looked at why modernisation is so crucial, how the landscape is already changing, and the technologies that will shape its development years into the future.
Miller explained that with a declining workforce and substantial growth projected for the industry, modernisation followed by digitisation can unlock much needed additional capacity. Through automating routine tasks and optimising data utilisation, workers can be empowered to tackle the tasks requiring human skill, enhancing both efficiency and productivity.
During the interview, Miller also selected emerging technologies like machine learning, AI, and natural language processing as having the potential to shape the future of the MRO landscape for years to come.
Acknowledging the transformative power of digitalisation comes with a degree of adversity, Miller highlighted a couple of innate challenges that will need to be overcome. Watch the full interview below to find out Miller’s thoughts on:
Key challenges anticipated during the transition to a digitalised industry.
The crucial role of digitalisation in today’s industrial landscape.
Factors that have slowed down the rate of modernisation in the industry compared to other sectors.
The evolution of the MRO ecosystem with the advent of digitisation.
Changes in the day-to-day operations for workers in MRO facilities and the long-term benefits.
EUROCAE, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment, plays a pivotal role in advancing the aviation industry through its range of standards. The non-profit organisation brings together manufacturers, operators, regulators, and other aviation stakeholders to develop and promote standards for aviation equipment and related systems.
In this brief interview, Anna von Groote, Director General explains EUROCAE’s critical role in driving aviation standards, unpacking how the organisation takes a collaborative and proactive approach to emerging challenges including the safe integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
At Aerospace Tech Week, 17-18th April, MOC – Event Center Messe Munchen, Munich, Anna von Groote will be speaking on the importance of standardisation in AI for aviation safety and efficiency. Book your ticket here.
Watch the full interview below to hear EUROCAE’s Director General speak on the following:
Can you explain how EUROCAE helps with driving the standard for aviation?
How does EUROCAE address emerging challenges and technologies in the sector?
With AI set to change the future of the industry, how are you approaching the subject and why is it so important to standardize?
Grzegorz Ombach, Head of Disruptive Research & Technology and Senior Vice President, Airbus joined to discuss sustainability, technology, and innovation.
During the interview, Ombach highlighted the complexities of achieving net zero targets during the industry’s ongoing expansion. Underscoring the significance of the actions taken today in shaping the industry’s trajectory, Ombach said:
“Everything we do during the next 20 years before we reach net zero is going to stay with us for the years to come. We have to make the right decisions.
20 years from now based on the global market forecast [the number of aircraft are] expected to double to about 46,000, therefore we are going to have even more challenges […] A lot of changes have to happen during this time.”
Looking at the disruptive technology aimed at addressing these challenges, Ombach also shared his insights into Airbus hydrogen-powered aircraft and other broader industry initiatives set to revolutionise the future of flight.
Ombach will be discussing these themes on a keynote panel at Aerospace Tech Week, looking at the technologies and frameworks needed to drive sustainable aviation. Speaking about his upcoming attendance at the event, Ombach explained:
“The future is not just what you do in your house, but also how you collaborate with this external ecosystem.”
Watch the full interview below.
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