By
Mayowa Adebajo
March 12th, 2024
Air France KLM is evaluating the potential for blockchain technology to observe workflows within its aircraft servicing units.
Air France KLM, one of the world’s leading airlines, plans to apply blockchain technology to track workflows within its aircraft maintenance systems.
As Aviation Today informs, to express the vision of how to implement blockchain technologies in aviation in the most effective way Air France MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul )department experts became the participants of a recent webinar, where Microsoft and Ramco Aviation were discussing the opportunity for blockchain tech application in the nearest future. In the course of the webinar James Kornberg, innovation director for Air France KLM’s business department, pointed good prospects of supply chain applications. He also stated that to provide a successful blockchain implementation in aviation it’s needed to make use case clear-eyed following to the stability, traceability, integrity, and disintermediation blockchain features.
During the webinar on blockchain Ramesh Sivasubramanian, a Ramco Aviation engineer, used Microsoft Azure and blockchain to model the case when Air France aircraft acquired AOG status due to hydraulic system fail. The engineering team declared that there was an actuator needed to be repaired. Then Ramesh Sivasubramanian demonstrated how an Air France engineer could replace an actuator via a blockchain ledger creating being visible for any experts engaged in the replacement process.
The first company which suggested using blockchain to complement aircraft maintenance process for airlines was IBM. And Air France has already started to use its MRO lab to understand the whole range of blockchain opportunities.
The aviation universities, manufacturers, and software developers are engaged in this research. Moreover, the second lab was opened – MRO Lab Singapore – with Ramco Systems’ assistance. At the same time, Lufthansa’s Industry Solution department developed Blockchain for Aviation initiative (BC4A) to gather software developers, aircraft manufacturers, MRO service providers. It will help to construct the foundation for future blockchain implantation into aviation.
In general, the airline executives have a positive vision of cloud safety and blockchain joining. It allows cybersecurity protocols to enhance. James Kornberg admitted that electronic data a real challenge when transferring to the new techs and blockchain is the first step to overcome this problem.
The reality is this problem is everywhere within the whole industry and it requires more parties concerned focus on. As it was mentioned below Lufthansa has already started working on creating “blockchain airline coalition” following to its Blockchain for Aviation Initiative. It seems aviation industry will have to adopt an experience of the major world banks which have created consortiums to implement blockchain tech.
Anyway, following to a good example of Lufthansa, Air France is trying to provide better customers’ travel experience. In the light of an open environment, it’s necessary to adhere innovative digital solutions to be ahead of the curve. And the blockchain is another good way to make good investments in the future.By the way, Russian airline PJSC Siberia Airlines and Alfa-Bank have developed a unique project for making payments fast applying the abovementioned blockchain tech.
Note that, Russian airline PJSC Siberia Airlines (known as S7 airline) and Alfa-Bank have developed and launched a unique project for making payments fast via applying the abovementioned blockchain tech.
“We have made the world’s first transaction for flight ticket purchases through the open API [application programming interface] blockchain to the bank, but I am sure that such a pattern will soon be used by many companies all over the world,” Pavel Voronin, deputy general director for information technologies at S7 Group, said.
The airline came up with a featured platform that automates all booking steps including execution of payment application, verification of adequacy of funds deposited in the account, writing off of amounts and status updates.