Air India introduces the latest changes in the digital landscape to boost customer engagement

Air India has made significant strides in modernizing its digital systems landscape, having completed many initiatives and several more in advanced stages towards completion. The airline has partnered with some of the world’s leading technology firms and invested heavily to rapidly revamp its digital systems.

Air India aims to emerge as the world’s most technologically advanced airline and has been investing in building a cutting-edge digital and technology team. The digital and technology modernization effort is being guided by Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and Air India CEO Campbell Wilson.

Air India has already deployed new technology systems or is in advanced stages of deployment in key areas such as:

Customer engagement

Under the category of customer engagement, several additions have been made to enhance the customer experience. These include the modernization of websites and mobile apps, the implementation of a user-friendly customer notification system, the introduction of a ChatGPT-driven chatbot, the upgrading of the in-flight entertainment system, the creation of a customer service portal with real-time support request tracking, the implementation of digital marketing strategies, the modernization of contact centers, and the development of systems for managing disruptions and self-service re-accommodation. Additionally, there are tools for customer feedback and analysis to improve the overall experience.

Employee empowerment

Employee empowerment is another important category that includes several additions to create a more modern and secure workplace. This includes employee engagement and self-service portals, the provision of mobile devices for pilots, cabin crew, and airport operations crew, learning and development tools, automated crew pairing and rostering, crew management, and disruption management, digitization to eliminate paper processes, and electronic contracts.

Operational improvements

Operational improvements are also necessary for smooth functioning, and the airline industry has introduced several new systems to improve operational efficiency. These systems include modern passenger service and departure control systems, sales system modernisation, engineering management systems, flight planning and tracking, aircraft movement management, disruption management, turnaround management, fuel management and sustainability, safety management, and reporting systems.

Enterprise systems transformation

The transformation of enterprise systems includes modernizing the Core Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, human resource management, procurement, materials management, digital infrastructure, and migrating to the cloud.

Air India’s digital and technology landscape modernization will benefit all the airlines in the group, including the low-cost carriers. They aim to have common systems across the full-service and low-cost segments to leverage economies of scale and economies of learning across all airlines in the group. This will be driven by shared platforms and a world-class team.

The airline’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Satya Ramaswamy, stated that their mission is to adopt the world’s best digital technologies to create a sustainable competitive advantage and delight customers. The technology transformation at the Airline is extensive and covers every aspect of the airline, including commercial, engineering, operations, ground handling, finance, human resources, and corporate functions. They are empowering employees with the best technology capabilities, ranging from frontline flying staff to the ground crew, by adopting a cloud-only, mobile-friendly, design-rich, AI-infused, and digital-first approach in all their technology initiatives, which they are executing with speed.

Transformation underway

Air India is trying to catch up with powerful domestic rivals IndiGo and Emirates from Dubai by modernizing its outdated processes. The airlines’ Vihaan.AI transformation program aims to make digital technologies a key differentiator for the airline and to establish it as a technology leader.

The press release states that technology powers each initiative, from enhancing customer experience to transforming revenue management. The Airline has already invested roughly $200 million in new digital systems, digital engineering services, and the creation of an industry-leading digital workforce.

The airline’s goal is to improve customer engagement and operational efficiency and to continue investing at this rate for the next five years. AirIndia also plans to move from catching up with world-class airlines to taking a leadership position by implementing cutting-edge technologies, including traditional digital technologies and modern generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).

According to PTI, CEO Wilson stated that the system is so bad that it is almost good. He believes that this presents an opportunity to start from scratch instead of patching up the existing infrastructure.

Air India

The airline is in the process of overhauling every aspect of its operations, including its supply chains and systems, as well as merging with four Tata-related airlines. Air India is due to merge with Vistara, while Air India Express and AirAsia India are also converging.

The CEO, a 52-year-old from New Zealand, believes that some areas, such as technology, allow for a clean-sheet approach. That’s why he is making artificial intelligence (AI) and other tools the centerpiece of the Airline’s revitalization.

Instead of having one fare for each block of seats, modern “revenue management” software is continuously predicting where people want to go and how much each individual is willing to pay. As a result, the company is seeing higher revenue per flight, making it a low-hanging fruit in the company’s transformation.

“This is not just a transformation, it’s also a startup,” said Wilson, who was appointed to lead the turnaround by Tata last year after the company regained control of the carrier.

Also Read: Latest Indian Aviation News and Aviation News

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