The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says GPS signal loss is an emerging risk for flight safety, drawing on incident data from 15 million flights performed by 7,500 aircraft.
By analysing Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) data, IATA can identify emerging safety risks at specific airports or regions, which is valuable for airlines exploring new destinations and regulators developing safety strategies. Recently, IATA identified GPS signal loss as an emerging safety risk using GADM data.
The GADM programme collects data from various sources using big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, including the Incident Data Exchange (IDX) and Flight Data eXchange (FDX) programs, making GADM what IATA claims is the most comprehensive collection of global aviation operational data.
Speaking at the Global Media Day in Geneva, Kim Macaulay, IATA Chief Information and Data Officer said that IATA will leverage GADM operational data to enhance fuel efficiency analysis and provide industry benchmarks. This will help airlines identify fuel-saving opportunities, as fuel accounts for a significant portion of operational expenses.
GADM data allows for more precise measurement of aircraft fuel burn and CO2 emissions. Analysing hundreds of data parameters per second enables the identification of the impact of fuel-saving measures, contributing to the aviation industry’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
IATA’s advanced deep learning models provide high-accuracy predictions for aircraft performance, particularly fuel consumption, assisting strategic decisions such as aircraft purchases and network planning.
IATA is focusing on data as a core part of its activities, using it to provide better analysis and solutions for industry issues. The association is expanding its data management division, strengthening the GADM team, and increasing its data scientist resources to improve analytics capabilities.
IATA Consulting is also ready to assist clients in achieving their business goals, utilising GADM and other IATA data collections and expertise.
