S

Six Sigma tools

Artificial Intelligence

IX SIGMA TOOLS FOR AIRPORT

ecurity use of artificial intelligence in
airport management

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Introduction

is a disciplined, data-driven approach to eliminating defects via the reduction of

variance. To understand these methods more thoroughly, a rudimentary discussion of
distribution, variation, and Six Sigma as a management system is presented.

The aviation industry involves a series of interlocking processes, each with its own challenges. In
addition to the issue of safety, airlines aim to improve passenger satisfaction. There are many
areas where this can go wrong, from delayed flights, missed connections, long layovers, lost
luggage or, worst of all, cancelled flights.

The weather plays a role in some of these issues, and certainly that is beyond an airline’s control.
However, as McKinsey & Company reported, airlines also have delays at gates after airplanes
land, under-utilized aircrafts and other expensive equipment and staff that remains idle for long
periods of time.

Many of these issues can be reduced or even eliminated by applying the tools used in Lean Six
Sigma, including the following.

Collecting Data

One of the first steps in both Lean and Six Sigma methodologies is to gather data on the current
operation to determine areas that need improvement and identify wasteful process steps.
Monitoring passenger traffic flow, the number of delayed and cancelled flights and the instances
of lost luggage is key. But aviation leaders also can get direct feedback from customers through
surveys and focus groups, giving them the information, they need on what works and doesn’t
work.

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Wasted Employee Time

One of the eight wastes identified in Lean is employee time. Airlines have an abundance of this,
according to McKinsey & Company. Part of the issue is not accurately determining the right
level of staffing both in customer service and in maintenance despite the often-routine nature of
tasks. This can lead to a single clerk checking in hundreds of passengers, an understaffed
baggage carousel and mechanics trying to find a part rather than working on a plane. McKinsey
found that in some maintenance areas, 20-to-30% of mechanics’ time are spent in the break
room.

Delayed Departures

Getting hundreds of people down the walkway and into a plane is what typically causes delays.
The application of Six Sigma can reduce and eliminate many of the duplications, delays,
redundant actions and misapplied rules that lead to these delays. Six Sigma tools break the
process into individual sub-processes, identifying the details of each operation as well as the time
each takes. This type of data-driven, non-emotional assessment eliminates “estimated”
measurements that lead to mistakes.

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Baggage Handling

There’s simply no good reason why an airline cannot get a bag from the airplane to the baggage
DELAYED
carousel in the time it takes a passenger to walk from his or her gate to the baggage carousel –
much less lose bags. Much likeDEPARTURES
with moving passengers onto planes, Lean Six Sigma can
identify the areas of waste in the process, streamline workflows and create standards for the time
spent accomplishing tasks

Key Stages

The process of checking in at an airport includes five essential stages that must be
accomplished for the passenger to get on board. The stages were initially designed
to make the process consume as little time as possible. However, with a rapid
increase in the number of passengers, as well as the lack of awareness among the
target audience about the basic principles of safety on the plane, the duration of the
procedure increases, whereas customer satisfaction drops along with the quality of
the services provided.

e.g., (a passenger may miss their flight due to a misunderstanding at the check-in
stage). The following stages of the process are typically used at an airport
currently:

 Waiting for the plane to arrive

 Getting into the line of other travelers
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 Showing the ID to the airport officials

 Walking through the metal detectors or
 Pat-down screening (used very rarely)
 Checking baggage security
 Getting luggage tagged

AI in airport management

Artificial intelligence or AI is now being utilized in a variety of industries across the globe. It
particularly is making its mark in the aviation industry as airline companies continue to
experiment with how AI can make flying faster, safer, and more convenient. While these
experiments are in the earliest phases right now, they are showing promise that could allow AI to
have a solid future in tomorrow's aviation industry.

Keeping Up with Growing Industry Demands

By all accounts, the global aviation industry is growing at an unprecedented pace. Within the
next few years, passenger counts are expected to double. This increased demand could put a
strain on the systems that are in use today at airports across the globe.

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With AI, however, the demand could be easily met without putting additional strain on an
airliner's operations or budget. It also could satisfactorily maintain and control important facets
of this industry including keeping track of safety records, keeping down costs, increasing
customer satisfaction, and generating more revenue.

The way businesses handle their data, operations, and income stream is being disrupted by AI in
aviation. The top airlines in the world are already utilizing artificial intelligence in aviation to
boost operational effectiveness, prevent expensive errors, and boost customer happiness.
Machine learning has numerous potential applications in the aviation sector. Four broad
categories can be used to group these areas:

 Passenger Identification
 Customer service & retention
 Artificial intelligence in fleet & operations management
 Air traffic control & air traffic management
 Autonomous machines & processes
 Predictive Maintenance

Passenger Identification

Artificial intelligence is already being used in select airports to identify passengers and handle
ticketing matters. In fact, it has proven itself capable of performing end-to-end passenger
identification and check-in functions at the airport.

Some airports are already using AI in ticketing kiosks that allow passengers to check in quickly
without having to wait in long lines. It also is being used by some airliners in mobile apps that
allow passengers to check in for flights from the touch of a smartphone or tablet computer.

Further, AI is expected to be in use soon for the purpose of self-service flight check-in.
Customers will use this technology in kiosks that will feature facial recognition. It is expected to
facilitate faster check-ins and speed up customer flow at the airport while also improving
customer satisfaction.

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Customer service and retention

AI in aviation is making strides in areas like enhanced customer experience and customer
happiness in addition to predictive maintenance and increased efficiencies. Artificial intelligence
can be used to enhance consumer engagement and satisfaction, optimize pricing tactics, and
enhance the overall flying experience. Here is a list of potential applications of AI in the travel
sector.

 Recommendation engines for tailored offers – behavior-tracking techniques, metadata,

and purchase history can create highly personalized offers, increasing customer retention
and lifetime value.
 Sentiment analysis on social media – when paired with intelligent algorithms, social
media feedback can evaluate customer reactions close to real-time, giving valuable
insights for improving customer experience.
 Chatbot software and customer service automation – Kayak, a popular travel booking
service, allows you to plan your next trip directly from your Facebook Messenger app.
Their type of chatbot is humanlike, understands simple questions, and responds in a
casual, conversational style.
 Conversational IVR – that allows to fully automate calls or semi-automate the process in
contact centers by improving the agents’ efficiency.

The path to smooth airport security procedures is made possible by facial recognition and
biometrics. The movement of individuals throughout the airport can be tracked using a similar
method to acquire a better understanding of the flow of passengers.

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Artificial intelligence in fleet & operations management

Aviation companies and flight operators can significantly lower operating costs and overhead by
optimizing their fleets and operations with AI-powered systems.

Potential areas for applying AI in aviation industry include:

 Dynamic pricing – to maximize revenue, airlines are optimizing their base published fare
that has already been calculated according to passenger journey, flight path, and broad
segmentation. Fares are further adjusted after evaluating details about the customers and
current market conditions. Airline companies use many different variables to determine
flight ticket prices: whether the travel is during the holidays, the number of free seats on
the plane, etc. According to John McBride, director of product management for PROS, a
software provider that works with airlines including Lufthansa, Emirates, and Southwest,
some operators have already introduced dynamic pricing on some ticket searches.
 Pricing optimization – also known as airline revenue management, this is similar to
dynamic pricing. Machine learning algorithms look for ways to maximize sales revenue
in the longer term to ensure all flights are optimally booked. These include historical data
such as past bookings, flight distance, willingness to pay, etc.
 Flight delay prediction – as flight delays are dependent on a huge number of factors,
including weather conditions and what’s happening in other airports, predictive analytics
and technology can be applied to analyze massive real-time data to predict flight delays,
update departure time, and re-book customers’ flights on time.

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Airline companies are using many different variables to determine the flight ticket prices.

 Flight route optimization – is done through machine learning-enabled systems that can
find optimal flight routes, save money through lower operational costs, and result in
higher customer retention. For this use case, various route characteristics, such as flight
efficiency, air navigation charges, fuel consumption, and expected congestion level, can
be analyzed.
 Avoiding travel disruption – Amadeus, one of the leading global distribution systems
(GDS), has introduced a Schedule Recovery system to help airlines mitigate the risks of
travel disruption and flight delays.
 Crew scheduling – the labor costs of the crew members and flight attendants of major
U.S. aircraft have grown (often exceeding $1.3 billion a year) and are the second-largest
item (next to fuel cost) of the total operating cost of major airlines. Big data analysis can
find the best way to schedule an airline’s crew to maximize their time and increase
employee retention.
 Fraud detection – by analyzing specific customers’ flight and purchase patterns and
coupling them with historical data, algorithms are able to identify passengers with
suspicious credit card transactions and eliminate fraudulent cases, saving airline and
travel companies millions of dollars every year.

Machine learning can also benefit the air freight industry. For example, predictive models help
forecast whether a product will be shipped on time and find the most optimal routes. In addition,
intelligent systems can help identify problematic incidents and increase operational efficiency.

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Air traffic control and air traffic management (ATM)

The increasing benefits of AI in aviation extend to critical tasks such as air traffic management.
Machine learning is not meant to replace human air traffic controllers. Instead, it aims to
automate repetitive, predictive tasks to free up human employees to focus on more complex and
important tasks. NATS (National Air Traffic Services) to implement live trials of the first-ever
AI system in airspace control called Project Bluebird.

Assembling an interdisciplinary team of data scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, Project

Bluebird aims to study how AI systems can work side-by-side with humans to create an ATM
that is intuitive, sustainable, and risk-free.

In this project, machine learning algorithms and data science are used to recommend
collaborative actions with air traffic control teams, including tackling climate change policies
such as achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through better routing and lower fuel
consumption.

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Autonomous machines and processes

While completely self-flying planes still lie in the distant future, there are already studies from
both Airbus and Boeing to drive autonomous aircraft forward. In December 2020, Boeing
completed its test flights of five uncrewed aircraft using AI algorithms, which reached speeds of
270 kilometers per hour. The company is confident that this successful test run will propel
autonomous technology to the forefront in the coming years. Meanwhile, there’s an opportunity
to automate other types of airport processes, such as ground handling, loading, fueling, cleaning,
and aircraft safety checks.

Airbus, one of the leading aerospace companies, uses AI to analyze data coming from various
factories, predicting when variations in the manufacturing processes occur. This allows them to
tackle the problems earlier, when it’s easier and less costly, or even prevent them altogether.
Predictive maintenance will also help the airline industry and aircraft manufacturers save money
in the long term as there would be fewer parts replacements and overhauls.

Finally, AI could soon be used to maintain and repair airplanes. Experiments are already
underway to determine how well AI can optimize maintenance planning and capacity of
airliners.

It is showing promise in being able to reduce the need

for routine maintenance by triggering repairs only as
they are needed. Further, AI can increase an airline’s
fleet availability by up to 35 percent, all the while
reducing labor costs by as much as 10 percent. It can
also predict potential issues with airliners by using
data from in-service aircraft. AI will be able to use
algorithms to predict flight delays and faults with
airplanes. As a result, it could allow both airliners and
airports a better chance of avoiding serious issues that
could disrupt traffic, revenue, and customer
satisfaction.

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Artificial intelligence could soon transform the way that airliners operate and serve customers. It
could facilitate faster check-ins and allow customers to handle many of their own flight-related
issues like checking in and paying for baggage-related costs. AI also can keep more airliners in
the sky and reduce a company's repair and labor costs.

How AI Is Impacting the Aviation Industry?

The hardware that gets us off the ground has changed a lot since the Wright Brothers and their
first flight, but there has always been a human element in the aviation industry. From the pilots
and flight attendants in the air to the engineers and mechanics on the ground and the air traffic
controllers in the tower, everything except the air currents themselves are in human hands.

AI in Ground Handling

Ground handling is often one of the biggest challenges when it comes to keeping an airport on
schedule. One team missing their ground handling window can create a cascade effect that leaves
everyone sitting on the tarmac for extended periods, plus feed into delays at other airports as
well.

In this situation, AI can help predict ground handling times, plan ideal schedules, and prevent
teams from stepping on each other’s toes as they try to go about their day.

It can also be an incredible tool for improving communication to make the entire ground
handling process move smoothly and more efficiently. The more information these AI systems
have to work with, the more accurate their predictions become.

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Assisting With Airport Security

While safety and security have always been important in the aviation industry, in the last two
decades since the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, airport security has been honed to an
exacting science. As with most things, though, there is always room for improvement. AI has
become a valuable tool in aviation security training, especially as computing power has
exponentially increased. An AI system can observe and analyze any and all systems that might
be vulnerable to attack and determine whether there are any risk factors that a human security
analyst may have overlooked. These AI systems can process many times the information that a
human analyst could manage in their lifetime, creating accurate real-time projections of security
risks on and off the ground. With a bit of programming and historical data, they can even create
projections for topics like the efficiency of fire extinguishers in a closed cabin environment
without ever having to take an aircraft offline for testing.

The Rise of Virtual Assistants

Virtual assistants are popping up in nearly every industry, with a variety of different applications
depending on the needs of the user.

For the aviation industry, AI assistants are beginning to emerge as tools for both aircraft crew
and passengers traveling to their destinations. Garmin has begun creating AI-powered aircraft
audio panels that can provide the pilot with information about wind forecasts, weather, and more
while also handling repetitive tasks like changing radio channels.

On the passenger side of things, AI assistants and chatbots are quickly becoming one of the most
valuable tools in the industry. Instead of using their customer service teams to field repetitive or
common questions, virtual assistants can help people find flight numbers and times, book and
plan trips, and handle all sorts of different mundane tasks, freeing up the customer service team
to handle more complex problems.AI-powered chatbots can reduce operational costs by up to

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30%, and experts predict that by the end of 2021, upwards of 85% of customer interactions will
be handled by chatbots without any human interaction.

Aircraft Health Monitoring

The internet of things (IoT) is working to connect everything from phones to home appliances.
But these networked sensors can also be valuable tools for monitoring the health of an aircraft.
These aircraft are already packed with sensors that monitor everything from temperature and
fluid pressure to the amount of noise each component makes. Adding AI to the mix and
networking the sensors just takes these information-gathering tools to the next level. Instead of
responding blindly to alerts when an aircraft touches down, airline mechanics will have a health
readout for the plane on hand before it ever touches the ground. This, in turn, can improve
ground handling times and prevent delays that can cascade throughout the airport system.

The Future of AI in the Aviation Industry

Applying artificial intelligence to the aviation industry is something that is just beginning to take
off. This technology is in its infancy, relatively speaking. But as its adoption becomes more
widespread, we will likely see more potential applications emerge. We’re a long way off from
Hal Jordan or Tony Stark’s suggestion of “removing the pilot entirely,” and there will always be
situations where the skills and instincts of a human pilot will be superior to the programming of
an AI system. But the potential is there. Artificial intelligence will continue to change and shape
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the aviation industry for many decades to come. What we’re seeing right now is the beginning,
and we’re excited to see where it might end.

Software for security

Also last year, AI security company Synapse Technology announced the release of the first
patented AI platform for X-ray machines, called Syntech ONE 200. A software designed to
improve the effectiveness of check-point scanners, it has already been ordered by Osaka's Kasai
International Airport.

Wide range of application

Even though aviation has sometimes been accused of lagging behind other areas in its use, AI
has already brought some significant changes to how flights are operated. Thus far, it is widely
implemented by airlines and airports for facial recognition, customer Q&A, baggage check-in,
factory space, and fuel optimization.
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However, its application areas are much broader. Mostly, it comes down to the same objectives,
namely cost efficiency and the improvement of customer experience. Aircraft management is an
arduous task that, if done inefficiently, can cost a carrier enormous amount of cash. AI systems
can predict when maintenance is required, helping airlines optimize service. Like when Delta Air
Lines slashed its maintenance delays by 98% in 2018 by focusing on Big Data and predictive
maintenance, as reported by Forbes.

Ticket prices and crew management

AI algorithms could also help airlines optimize ticketing prices, which are built on multiple
parameters such as seasonality, fuel prices, competition, etc. Faculty, a British company
specialized in AI solutions, has developed an AI model that was able to provide forecasts that
were between 70% and 80% accurate up to 90 days before every flight Then there is crew
management. Factors such as certification, availability, and qualification of pilots, flight
attendants, and engineers must all be taken into account. To schedule and re-schedule staff using
an AI-based roster system would increase HR efficiency and hopefully optimize layovers for
crew.

Hassle-free procedures

The time spent by the customer in check-in and check-out procedure at the airport adds to the
travel time and can sometimes be more than the travel time. Airlines can drastically improve on
the customer experience by providing a smooth transition and reducing the waiting time at the
source and destination airports. For instance, an artificial intelligence technology using facial
recognition can help to ease the check-in process by comparing the photo in the passport with the
actual image of the customer. The data can also be linked to the check-in baggage thereby
making the collection of the baggage simpler at the destination airport. This also eradicates the
chance of customers picking up the wrong baggage at check-out. It also improves the security at
the airport by mapping the baggage to the customer in case of any prohibited items in the bags.

As convenience is the king in today’s world, smart concierge services, powered by Artificial
Intelligence (AI) have become a necessity for enhanced customer experience. At the moment,
only when the flyer arrives at the airlines counter is when the flyer is tracked for boarding. With

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the help of intelligent systems, the airlines can be part of the customer journey even before the
flyer arrives at the airport for boarding. The flyer can receive dynamic updates about the queue at
the boarding pass collection counter or the security counter. The customer can also, if wishes to,
check and make any last-minute changes to his flight. Fe of those could be -

 Check & buy additional baggage allowance

 Order a special meal on-flight
 Inform the airlines if there is a delay in reaching the airport
 Checking the boarding gate number

Tailored to Personal choices

A customer journey for an airline should not end with the traveler reaching its destination. It
continues much post the travel. According to a study, 90% of travelers post about their travel
experience on one or the other social media platform. This presents a good opportunity for
airlines to analyze their brand loyalty. Sentiment analysis of the data collected from the social
media platforms can help airliners to improve upon their overall customer experience.

A step forward, real-time analysis of customer experience can be helpful for the airlines to
improve their service on the fly. For example, a customer who was not happy with the overall
travel experience on his first leg of the journey can be compensated by providing a free upgrade
to business class for his next connecting flight.

This kind of supplements will require data to be collected in real-time and provide a customized
package to the flyer. On similar lines, real-time bag tracking service can also be helpful and let

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passengers know if their baggage is misplaced or delayed. These data strategies will go a long
way for airlines to build customer loyalty and improve their overall brand value. British
mathematician and scientist Alan Turing first looked into computing intelligence in 1950. In a
paper called “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”, he suggested using a now-famous
‘Imitation Game’ to test a machine’s sentient capabilities, which eventually laid the groundwork
for the development and discovery of artificial intelligence (AI).

Decades later, AI and its subsets – machine learning and deep learning – are set to influence the
future of many sectors, including aviation. Over the last few years, AI has found a wide array of
applications in the industry – from ground handling services to airport security and air traffic
management (ATM) – and there is now scope for more. This is the argument of the recently-
published FLY AI report, which sets out key steps towards a stronger adoption of AI, machine
learning and other digital tools in several areas of aviation. Released by the newly formed
European Aviation High Level Group on AI, the paper draws upon expertise from key players in
the sector. These include leader EUROCONTROL, the Single European Sky ATM Research
(SESAR) Joint Undertaking, the International Air Transport Association, Airbus and Airport
Council International’s European division. Alongside debunking some myths around AI, the
paper identifies the most promising areas for its uptake. It also features a ‘FLY AI Action Plan’
that outlines future measures to better integrate the technology in ATM and other segments of
aviation

The functions of AAI are as follows:

 Design, Development, Operation and Maintenance of international and domestic airports

and civil enclaves.
 Control and Management of the Indian airspace extending beyond the territorial limits of
the country, as accepted by ICAO.
 Construction, Modification and Management of passenger terminals.
 Development and Management of cargo terminals at international and domestic airports.
Provision of passenger facilities and information system at the passenger terminals at
airports.
 Expansion and strengthening of operation area, viz. Runways, Aprons, Taxiway etc.
Provision of visual aids.

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 Provision of Communication and Navigation aids, viz. ILS, DVOR, DME, Radar etc.

Where artificial intelligence can actually ‘fly’ in aviation

Guillemet explains that Europe has “a strong basis of expertise and knowledge to further develop
AI for ATM”. Here, automation can help improve operational efficiency in different segments of
aviation. “For instance,” he says, “machine learning digital assistants can mine huge amounts of
historical data to support human operators on the ground or in the cockpit to make the best
possible decisions.”

Within this framework, the FLY AI report identified four areas where AI can help tackle current
and future challenges. These are airspace capacity, which is rapidly running out in Europe, the
climate change crisis, digital transformation and new levels of complexity in the integration of
unmanned aircraft in an already overcrowded airspace. “Machine learning digital assistants can
mine huge amounts of historical data to support human operators on the ground or in the
cockpit.”

“AI’s ability to identify patterns in complex real-world data that human and conventional
computer-assisted analyses struggle to identify makes it extremely well-suited to the aviation
sector,” says Bosman. “AI has the potential to transform aspects of the aviation sector, enabling
ATM functions to be performed in entirely different ways in the future.”

Bosman also believes that automation can play a pivotal role in improving the industry’s
environmental credentials. “By accelerating the digital transformation in terms of optimizing
trajectories, creating ‘green’ routes and increasing prediction accuracy,” he says, “AI could make
a real difference to mitigating the environmental impacts of aviation, in addition to providing
decision-makers and experts with new features that could transform the ATM paradigm in terms
of new techniques and operating procedures.”

In addition, better use of data will help increase and improve predictions with more sophisticated
tools, while also boosting the scalability, efficiency and resilience of the current ATM system.
Lastly, the technology can enhance safety in segments such as cybersecurity, conflict detection,
traffic advisory and resolution tools.

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Success
These are just a few of the areas in the aviation industry where the application of Lean Six Sigma
could improve efficiency and quality of service. Some airlines have already become trailblazers
in this area.

Southwest Airlines is perhaps the best example. The company has applied Lean Six Sigma,
particularly in the area of customer service. The airline frequently requests feedback from
customers. It was the first airline to use ticketless flights. They use adequate staffing and self-
check-in terminals to speed up check-in. Onboard, they offer free Wi-Fi, free eBooks and video
on demand.

Southwest has the lowest number of passenger complaints among any airline, according to the
Department of Transportation.

The company also has a “no layoff” policy with employees and managed to create jobs even
during last decade’s recession.

Other aviation industry companies have also instituted Lean Six Sigma. American Airlines used
Lean techniques to streamline their passenger claims process. The International Air Transport
Association offers Lean Six Sigma classes that are aviation focused, as does process
improvement specialists ACCLINO.

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More jobs also are beginning to appear in the aviation industry that require Lean or Six Sigma
training. All this adds up to an aviation industry that is beginning to turn to Lean Six Sigma.
That’s a good thing for airlines who need more efficient operations. And, most importantly, for
their passengers.

Conclusion

It is surprising that a sector as important as aviation has woken up to AI so late. As AI in aviation

picks up its pace, there could probably be a few mergers, acquisitions or even closure of small
airlines which will not be able to afford the investments. Now, AI seems the best option to take
aviation to the next level

Reference

https://www.sixsigmadaily.com/lean-six-sigma-aviation/

https://www.sixsigmadaily.com/lean-six-sigma-aviation/

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/217178853.pdf

https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-six-sigma-a-complete-overview-article

https://www.intelligentautomation.network/artificial-intelligence/news/8-surprising-things-powered-by-ai-security

https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radiation-and-airport-security-scanning

https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2207237.pdf

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