by Elsie Clark | Oct 22, 2025 | AI & ML, Innovation, MRO IT
Back in April, our Aerospace Tech Review Awards 2025 honoured a range of cutting-edge startups, speakers, and collaborations across the aerospace industry. Most Disruptive Startup went to AIXI, an innovative data and analytics company that is giving aviation MRO data a much-need upgrade.
To learn more, we sat down on video call with AIXI’s CEO, Cameron Byrd. With aviation continuing to depend on legacy systems, AIXI’s data-cleaning AI represents a significant advancement. Information that might previously have been buried in spreadsheets or hidden behind reference numbers can be brought to the fore through AIXI’s industry-specific large-language model (ILM).
It’s impossible to extract reliable information from maintenance data without cleaning it first. That’s where everyone’s failing, and where AIXI focuses.
Byrd believes airlines’ extensive maintenance data backlogs airlines represent an untapped ‘gold mine’ that could be leveraged far more effectively. AIXI’s ILM extracts, cleans, and standardises this data, while additional tools can identify repeat defects by aircraft or by fleet. The startup’s ultimate goal is to provide the aviation industry with strong data foundations, which they can build upon for true prescriptive and predictive maintenance.
With an accuracy rate of over 95%, the AIXI model can review 3,000 records a day and save 15,000 hours of labour. Real-world use cases have demonstrated these high-performance capabilities: AIXI have been working with Southwest Airlines since 2022, and upon installation immediately freed up five full-time employees.
Southwest also tried to have humans verify the results of the autocoder. And what happened was the autocoder would beat the humans.
AIXI is currently tailored to manage Boeing 737s, but in the future Byrd hopes to refine the ILM so it can be applied to more aircraft records. He also hopes to build an industry-specific chatbot tool, where engineers can input questions on maintenance procedures or the number of delays due to certain causes, and receive accurate answers based on the airline’s data.
When it comes to MRO, AI is a transformative tool that will become essential to the running of the aviation industry. Byrd concludes:
AI is the way to unlock the power of data, because if you know the history of your fleet, you can predict the future of your fleet.
🎥 Watch the full interview to get the full lowdown on AIXI’s game-changing technology, and why they won Most Disruptive Startup at the ATR Awards 2025.
Questions asked include:
- Aviation is known for being dependent on legacy tools and methods. What systems have traditionally been used to aggregate MRO data? What are the challenges that come with using these?
- How is AIXI disrupting this field? Tell me more about your AI-powered solutions and how they are a game-changer for MRO.
- What are your plans for the future? How would you like to grow your business/develop the product?
- How do you see use of AI changing aerospace and aviation over the next decade?
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026, where our Startup World Cup will gather the most innovative new businesses from across the industry.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 18, 2025 | AI & ML, Flight Ops IT, Innovation
Korean Air and Boeing will partner on predictive analytics for proactive fleet maintenance, they announced at the MRO Asia-Pacific 2025 conference in Singapore.
The South Korean national carrier has established an early lead in predictive maintenance, setting up a dedicated team in 2023 that has since developed an in-house MRO solution. The partnership with Boeing will focus on advancing data-driven maintenance from this foundation to optimise fleet availability.
Chan Woo Jung, Senior Vice President and Head of Maintenance and Engineering at Korean Air, said:
We have made substantial progress in enhancing fleet reliability through our Smart MRO strategy, specifically by leveraging predictive maintenance. This strategic collaboration with Boeing will build on that success, taking our capabilities to the next level.
As we continue to expand our fleet, this partnership is key to enhancing our maintenance operations.
The announcement comes after Korean Air signed the largest-ever single aircraft order in history in late August 2025. 103 new Boeing airliners of different types are set to replenish and expand the airline’s fleet as they merge with Asiana Airlines.
The new predictive maintenance partnership with Boeing will support the US$36 billion investment, ensuring that Korean Air get the most out of their new aircraft while minimising passenger disruption.
Boeing’s suite of intelligence tools includes the Insight Accelerator, a custom predictive maintenance solution that helps avoid flight delays and minimises aircraft time on ground (AOG). Powered by machine learning (ML) algorithms, it is the first tool of its kind to launch on the MRO market.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026, where our dedicated MRO IT panels will be discussing the future of predictive maintenance in aviation.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 12, 2025 | AI & ML, Innovation, MRO IT
Copenhagen Airport (CPH) has introduced a new solution for real-time monitoring emissions from auxiliary power units (APUs).
The Danish airport has rolled out Assaia’s EmissionsControl technology across its stands. Airports often struggle to reduce APU emissions due to a lack of data on how runtime is influenced by locations and weather conditions. Through this new development, CPH claims to have become the world’s first airport to utilise the innovative monitoring solution.
Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), Assaia’s system deploys cameras to track APU usage during aircraft turnarounds. This provides CPH with comprehensive data on APU usage patterns that can then inform effective carbon reduction strategies.
CPH’s chief operating officer Kristoffer Plenge-Brandt said:
The use of APU contributes to noise and emissions of CO₂ and air pollution, including ultrafine particles, which are a concern for both our employees and our neighbouring communities.
That’s why we aim to reduce APU usage as much as possible. With this new tool, we can identify when our operational guidelines are not being met and understand the reasons behind it
Weather conditions are key to understanding APU runtime. Extreme cold temperatures require longer warmup times, while hot weather necessitates internal cooling systems. CPH’s data-centric approach means they can optimise APU usage without relying on assumptions, as has previously been practice.
Alongside improving ground operations, the initiative contributes to CPH’s 2030 net-zero emissions target. Airlines flying into the airport will also benefit from decreased fuel consumption and lower operational costs.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss the future of operational sustainability in aviation.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 10, 2025 | AI & ML, Innovation
A new strategic partnership between Adacel Technologies and Smart Eye will enhance the MaxSim air traffic control (ATC) simulation platform. MaxSim currently provides the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), Air Force, and U.S. Army with controller training across a variety of scenarios.
Through integration with Smart Eye’s artificial intelligence (AI) programme, MaxSim will monitor trainee controllers’ eye movements and attention patterns during simulation exercises. This will allow instructors to analyse objective, quantifiable data on the trainees’ development, ultimately improving learning and preparedness.
Adacel vice president Michael Saunders commented:
Partnering with Smart Eye now brings advanced eye-tracking analytics into MaxSim, giving instructors unprecedented insight into attention, decision-making, and situational awareness—further enhancing safety and training effectiveness.
As well as ATC training, the sophisticated human performance analytics system has the potential to roll out across other aviation training in due course.
Improved training critical to planned ATC upgrades
The Adacel/Smart Eye partnership comes as the US begins a major overhaul of its ATC system. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the plans in May 2025, and recently stated that the upgrade could cost US$31.5 billion.
Training new air traffic controllers is essential to these development plans. The FAA ended 2024 with around 3,900 controllers short of targets, but the ensuing recruitment drive has left instructors overworked. Adacel and Smart Eye’s new partnership will provide data that not only enhances ATC training programmes, but reduces the burden on instructors to evaluate performance.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss the future of air traffic control, technology, and connectivity.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 8, 2025 | AI & ML, Innovation, Video
From predictive analytics to enhanced scheduling, the aerospace industry now collect more data then ever. But how can Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across the industry leverage that data effectively?
At Aerospace Tech Week 2025, we tapped the expertise of Lauren Edwards, Head of Aerospace and Airlines Practise, from consulting firm Point B. She highlights several priorities for CIOs, including ensuring compatibility between legacy systems and new artificial intelligence (AI) software.
A lot of conversations we’re having are how do we continue to move towards the future while managing and maintaining the information that we have today.
Getting different data systems to ‘talk’ to each other, all while ensuring data cleanliness, presents a challenge for the industry. But when done effectively, the outcomes can be game-changing for customer experience. At the same time, as the workforce ages and workflows incorporate more technology, employees can see significant value too.
We really focus on understanding, and we see the most ROI when your customer experience and your employee experience come together.
🎥 Watch the full interview below to hear more from Lauren on the data landscape for aerospace in the years ahead.
Questions asked include:
- What are the priorities for CIOs in data and privacy in 2025?
- How are data improvements boosting the bottom line for companies?
- What are the major challenges in the landscape?
- What are the untapped benefits of effectively leveraging data and analytics?
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss further how data is changing aviation, engineering, and MRO.
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by Elsie Clark | Sep 3, 2025 | AI & ML, Connectivity, Innovation
Researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have pioneered a new artificial intelligence (AI) system for transcribing aviation radio.
In the University’s dedicated Speech and Language AI Lab, the expert team have developed a voice-to-text system for use between pilots and controllers. Radio messaging has so far remained dependent on legacy technology. However, the Embry-Riddle project demonstrates how AI can be used to make communication in aerospace more effective and efficient. The team set out to produce a system that was aviation-specific and could transcribe technical messages accurately.
Andrew Schneider, an assistant professor in the College of Aviation and director of the Speech and Language AI Lab, noted:
Aviation English isn’t standard conversational grammar — it’s a condensed, highly specific phraseology spoken over a noisy radio where words get clipped and specialised jargon abound.
Their research found that radio communications from 12 US airports processed by generic automated speech recognition tools, such as OpenAI’s Whisper, resulted in an 80% word error rate. But Embry-Riddle’s specialised AI system can recognise acronyms and specific aviation-related phrases to produce significantly more accurate transcripts. This will help identify and prevent miscommunication, as well as improve student pilot training.
Kristy Kiernan, associate director of Embry-Riddle’s Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, added:
In aviation, we have done a great job with using numerical data, but until now we haven’t had the tools to use qualitative data at the same scale. Large language models can open up whole new data sources that we can leverage to improve safety. That’s really exciting
In the future, Schneider and his research partner, Dr Jianhua Liu, want to develop the AI system into a smart co-pilot that can flag inconsistencies between verbal instructions and aircraft behaviour as they happen. This will improve the situational awareness of aircraft. Given that seven of the 20 deadliest aviation accidents were the result of communication errors, technological improvements in this area are essential for enhancing safety.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026, where we’ll be discussing how the aviation industry can advance connectivity and communications.
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