Civil aviation is the backbone of the transportation industry, connecting numerous markets and transport networks worldwide. Various stakeholders are directly and indirectly involved in the safe transport of passengers and cargo: airports, airlines, ground handling operators, Air Traffic Control (ATC), government authorities / regulators, manufacturers, distributors, service providers, suppliers, and so on. The intricate system formed over the past decades is influenced strongly by the interactions between these stakeholders. Low profit margins induced by strong competition force industry members to advance the frontiers of innovation and development, constantly adapting and optimising processes and technology for high efficiency. More recently, emerging technologies and business models, e.g., Urban Air Mobility and drone deliveries, pose new opportunities and challenges to the aviation sector.

Previous years have seen numerous applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to aviation with promise of optimising processes and increasing system productivity. In the area of Air Traffic Management (ATM), technologies have been developed and tested which have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, improve safety margins and support human decision makers. In other areas of aviation, innovations aim to mitigate human error, increase system capacities and overall operational efficiency in both air and land operations.

This track will focus on the most recent developments, discussing the technologies themselves, the implications for the aviation industry both in the air and on the ground, as well as upcoming concepts for mobility. These technologies alone, however, are only half of the story – before technologies become useful, framework requirements must be fulfilled and concepts for their implementation developed. Presenting what actions must be taken for the industry to exploit technological developments and which technologies exist for streamlined integration of AI into aviation will be the second focus of this track.