zeroG and Brussels Airlines have organized a two-day hackathon titled “Unlock the Power of Data” in Brussels to unlock the potential of data and artificial intelligence (AI) in the aviation industry.
The near 100 participants gathered on November 23 and 24 with the goal of gaining practical experience with real data from Brussels Airlines to bridge the gap between data-driven innovation and specific aviation solutions.
“Think sustainability, efficiency and comfort – that’s what we’re diving into with seven everyday aviation topics. We’re talking about everything from saving fuel and cutting waste to customer feedback,” shared Manuel van Esch, the CEO at zeroG. “Our hackathon’s main purpose? Cook up a bunch of proofs-of-concept that size up the business case and check the tech feasibility for each scenario. It’s the starting point for making data and AI technology have a real impact on Brussels Airlines!”
The approximately 70 data scientists and AI experts from zeroG, partnering with 20 analysts and data experts from Brussels Airlines, formed the basis of the event. They worked in small teams to develop solution concepts on how machine learning and artificial intelligence can be used profitably in aviation. Microsoft experts were also on-site to support the realization of these cases using Microsoft Azure.
The partners selected a few use cases including zero-fuel-weight prediction, buy-on-board fresh food waste management, performance loop boost, data culture workshop and cabin natural language processing (NLP) model re-vamp.
The zero-fuel-weight prediction use case addressed the challenge of saving millions of kilograms of fuel annually by analyzing fuel overage occurrences, quantifying their real impact through data, and exploring sustainable solutions. The buy-on-board fresh food waste management case introduced an AI tool that minimizes waste and offers potential time and cost savings. The performance loop boost use case involved a comprehensive analysis of Brussels Airlines’ Data Architecture, collaborating with business stakeholders to identify priority use cases for tangible impact. The data culture working session led by zeroG Data Leadership program instructors sought to establish data leadership characteristics and a sustainable data culture at Brussels Airlines through training and hands-on use cases. Finally, the Cabin NLP model at Brussels Airlines is being upgraded to enhance crew AI reporting, including new methods for interpreting customer feedback.
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