“The key to making it happen is collaboration,” the CEO of Aer Lingus Lynne Embleton, told the IATA World Data Symposium (WDS), a first-ever aviation event dedicated to data, technology, and cybersecurity in the sector.
The event opened with a welcome address by Kim Macaulay, Senior Vice President of Information and Data at IATA, followed shortly by a welcome from Lynne Embleton, Chief Executive Officer of Aer Lingus. Dr. Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP Sustainability and Chief Economist at IATA, presented insights into sustainability and the economic outlook for the industry, leading into a CEO panel moderated by Macaulay, featuring Embleton, Lauri Reishus, CEO of ARC, and Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.
Shawn Henry, Chief Security Officer of CrowdStrike, delivered a keynote on building resiliency in cybersecurity, which was followed by a networking break. Dr. Werner Vogels, CTO of Amazon, led a discussion on cost, constraints, and creativity in technology systems. Additionally, Habib Turki, Chief Development Officer at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and Sami Ferchiou, Data Science Specialist at IATA, explored how advanced technologies can drive future mobility.
The afternoon sessions emphasized the importance of a robust data and AI strategy, with a panel moderated by Reishus, including Richard Masters from Virgin Atlantic, Patrick Surry from Hopper, and Dave O’Donovan from Aer Lingus. Later, keynote presentations included Pascale Batchoun from Air Canada discussing innovative machine learning applications and Margot Löwenberg and Santiago Erroz Ferrer from Lufthansa Group focusing on AI solutions for cabin crew scheduling.
As the day continued, moderated discussions covered aviation large language models and AI accountability, featuring industry experts such as Keiichi Ueda from All Nippon Airways and Muriël Holdrinet from KLM. The event concluded with a panel of pilots discussing data-driven solutions enhancing flight deck operations, and keynotes from Richard Niland and François Chazelle of Aer Lingus and SITA, respectively. A networking dinner took place off-site, marking the end of a successful symposium where industry leaders gathered to share insights and innovations.
Lynne Embleton, CEO, Aer Lingus shared “Data and technology are revolutionising how we operate in many aspects of our lives, and the aviation industry is no different. The pace and scale of change enabled by digital over the last five years has surpassed anything from the previous 20 years. We are able to better understand our customers, optimise our processes, and use data to drive better decisions in real time. Yet what we have seen to date is only the tip of the iceberg. The applications of emerging technologies like AI, machine learning and robotics are still at an early stage and will continue to drive real changes in the aviation industry.”
CEO forum
