by Jessica Brownlow | Apr 2, 2025 | AI & ML, Avionics, Connectivity, Flight Ops IT, Innovation, MRO IT, Sustainability
Earlier today, the five winners of this year’s Aerospace Tech Review (ATR) Awards were announced onsite at Aerospace Tech Week Europe in Munich. The awards recognise individuals and companies for their outstanding contributions to the aerospace industry in 2024.
Each category featured three deserving finalists, carefully selected from publication nominations, with the winners chosen by an expert judging panel prior to the event.
Sven Krause announced the results at the close of day one at Aerospace Tech Week Europe, putting a spotlight on the innovators, visionaries, and first-movers who are shaping the future of aerospace.
Top innovator – Individual person who has pushed the boundaries to make a lasting impact on the industry
Winner: Maxime Meijers (Co-Founder & CEO, Estuaire) for his leadership combining atmospheric modeling with real-time operational insights to address the full climate footprint.
Finalists: Victor Oribamise (CEO, Kquika), Eng. Catherine Cordonia (COO, DaS LAB)
Most disruptive start up – Start up that has shaken the industry, bringing a fresh approach to challenges/forward thinking solutions
Winner: AIXI – Founded to help airlines leverage decades of historical maintenance and reliability data to solve real-world challenges.
Finalists: Cosmofoil, JELLYSPACE
Speaking on the achievement, Cameron Byrd, AIXI CEO & Founder said:
“AIXI is empowering airlines to unlock the full value of their maintenance data with industry specific AI models. Our tools have been in production since 2022 and have most notably helped the maintenance and reliability teams at Southwest Airlines. We are thrilled at being recognized as the Most Disruptive Start-Up at Aerospace Tech Week Europe, which emphasizes our industry-leading tools and innovation.”
Best sustainability initiative – Company that has taken exceptional steps to reduce the industry’s environmental impact or significantly raised the standard for sustainability
Winner: Iberia Maintenance for its use of SAF in their test bench, producing renewable energy via solar panels, and broadening its in house repair capabilities to reduce emissions.
Finalists: EL AL, Airbus
Most creative product applying AI – Driving progress and opening up new possibilities
Winner: Kquika’s Trakt System which leverages AI and machine learning to revolutionise aircraft maintenance, addressing the aviation industry’s labor shortage and operational inefficiencies.
Finalists: Skypuzzler’s iDATC, DaS LAB’s Project StopOver
Collaboration of the year – Two or more companies whose collaboration has resulted in significant advancement for the sector
Winner: Airbus & Telefónica who have come together to transform the aerospace sector through the power of 5G technology.
Finalists: Spectrum Control & 3D Glass Solutions, International Aerospace Environmental Group’s Work Group 13
Natalie England, Project Director, Aerospace Tech Week said:
“This is the first year of the ATR Awards and we are thrilled to celebrate some of the remarkable people and products that are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in this dynamic industry. Aerospace Tech Week Europe brings together key players in the industry ecosystem to drive innovation, making it the perfect place to announce the results.”
For more information on Aerospace Tech Week, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn.
by Jessica Brownlow | Mar 31, 2025 | Flight Ops IT, Video
Munich Aerospace fosters the collaboration between academia and aerospace advancements. By finding synergy between research, graduate programmes, and teaching, the association has pooled knowledge to become an innovation hub for science and industry.
At Aerospace Tech Week Europe, Andreas Lermann, Munich Aerospace’s Managing Director will be moderating sessions on Supply Chain & Procurement as well as Flight Ops IT, shaping the discussions that will be taking place over the next couple of days.
Ahead of the event, Lermann shared a brief overview of the disruptive innovations positioned to influence the sector, technologies with transformative potential for flight ops, and the critical role of technology in addressing supply chain disruptions.
“In flight ops, you need real-time solutions and optimisation. When it comes to route improvements, having real-time data is essential. This is where quantum technology has a real advantage – it enables air traffic control to operate more efficiently and optimises flight routing in a much shorter timeframe, almost in real-time. That’s where quantum technology is a huge asset.”
Watch the full conversation below. To join us at ATW Europe this week book your ticket now!
Questions asked include:
- Let’s start with supply chain as this is understood to be one of the greatest inhibitors to the industry right now. How do you see technology improving the situation here?
- And now Flight Ops and quantum technology. Can you start by giving a brief overview of quantum tech and its potential for the industry broadly speaking?
- What about its potential within flight ops specifically?
- What sessions are you most looking forward to onsite?
For more on what to expect onsite at Aerospace Tech Week Europe see:
by Jessica Brownlow | Mar 24, 2025 | Flight Ops IT, Innovation
Quantum computing is “a new computing architecture that mirrors the behaviour of matter at the subatomic level.” It harbours huge potential for a range of industries, including aerospace, with its capacity to process extensive volumes of data at a fraction of the rate of current computers.
At Aerospace Tech Week, Kolin Schunck, Sr. Manager Strategic Intelligence, Lufthansa Innovation Hub (LIH) will explore how quantum technologies can be leveraged for flight route optimisation. Ahead of this session, Schunck joined for a 20-minute conversation reviewing the topic, looking at:
- Real world case studies: How are we already seeing this in action and what applications is the technology best suited to?
- Expected timelines for adoption: This is still in its early stages so when is it realistic to see full integration?
- Key investors in the tech: Billions have already been invested in research but which corporates are increasing spend and leading the way?
- Challenges: What are the major hurdles that need to be addressed before the industry can expect to effectively leverage quantum computing?
To conclude the discussion, Schunck emphasised his take home message to industry leaders:
“Don’t wait for quantum – fix your digital foundation first. Many companies in aviation are still struggling to integrate even basic AI and automation. If we can’t get the basics done, are we really ready to implement such a top-notch technology? For example, crew scheduling might seem like an easy task to automate, but in reality, many airlines still rely on paper and Excel spreadsheets. We are just not there at an automation level and that’s what we need to fix this first. Then we can talk about quantum.”
Watch the full conversation below. To join us at ATW Europe book your free ticket now!
Questions asked include:
- Is quantum computing really the next big leap for aviation, or is it overhyped?
- We’ve seen billions flow into quantum computing. How much of this investment is actually dedicated towards aviation?
- What are some realistic near-term applications of quantum computing in aviation?
- When do you think quantum computing will actually impact aviation operations?
- What’s one key message you want aviation leaders to take away from this conversation?
- Why did Lufthansa Innovation Hub decide to join Aerospace Tech Week as an innovation partner?
For more on Aerospace Tech Week 2025 see:
by Jessica Brownlow | Mar 18, 2025 | Flight Ops IT, Innovation
Virgin Atlantic is working to bring electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to Heathrow and Manchester Airport through a new partnership with Joby Aviation. When the air taxi launches, Virgin Atlantic customers will have the opportunity to simply book a seat on the aircraft via the airline’s app, website, or other channels.
Joby, a California-based electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer is creating an electric air taxi that can travel at 200 mph. The aircraft will only seat four and one pilot and is designed to offer a fast, sustainable, alternative to ground transportation.
In the announcement, Joby highlighted the difference this could make to a passenger’s airport journey, stating a trip from Manchester Airport to Leeds would take only 15-minutes, or a flight from Heathrow to Canary Wharf could swap an 80 minute drive with an 8-minute trip.
Reinforcing the sustainability prospects of the partnership, Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said:
“As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK. Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers.”
As part of the agreement, Virgin Atlantic will eventually market this option to their passengers, help grow support from the establishment of landing infrastructure at airports, and work alongside regulators.
This announcement comes as part of Joby’s existing partnership with Delta Air Lines which owns a 49 per cent stake in the UK carrier.
To join us at ATW Europe book your ticket now!
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by Jessica Brownlow | Feb 28, 2025 | Flight Ops IT
In a bid to accelerate air traffic controller hiring following concerns of staffing shortage, the US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced plans to “supercharge” hiring. According to Reuters, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) is approximately 3,500 fully certified air traffic controllers under targeted staffing levels.
The FAA says it plans to make it “more efficient than ever to apply and more affordable to begin training.”
The air traffic controller hiring window was opened by the FAA yesterday until 17th March, encouraging the “best and brightest” to pursue this career. With a new streamlined process, the FAA will:
- Recruit top candidates through a merit-based process
- Give candidates with the highest Air Traffic Skills Assessment Test (ATSA) scores priority to the Academy
- Increase starting salaries by 30 per cent for Academy trainees
- Reduce the 8-step hiring process at the FAA to 5-steps cutting 4 months off the process.
Speaking on the initiative, Duffy said:
“Today’s visit reaffirmed how being an air traffic controller is one of the best, most rewarding jobs in America, and that the next generation at the Academy is the best in the world. I witnessed first hand the dedication, skill, and rigor that our future air traffic controllers bring to their training and the urgent need to do all that we can to recruit more people to join in our shared mission of safety in our skies. This staffing shortage has been a known challenge for over a decade, and this administration is committed to solving it. The new streamlined hiring process is just the first step to deliver on President Trump’s agenda to prioritize the American people’s safety and modernize the federal government.”
This year, Aerospace Tech Week Europe are launching a Recruitment Zone where recruiters and talent acquisition teams can host a digital job board, meet with candidates, and hold interviews in the room. With over 2,500 people in the room from students to CEOs, make the most of the networking opportunities available and book your ticket now.
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