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Coming Soon: More complex air-launched unmanned aircraft demos

The Army will rapidly develop and refine concepts for air-launched unmanned aircraft through a series of demonstrations over the next several years with plans to integrate whatever works into formations quickly, the head of the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Aviation and Missile Center’s Aviation Development Directorate, told Defense News.As part of an effort to refine an advanced teaming concept between manned and unmanned aircraft, the service has a series of demonstrations lined up to develop the capability of launching unmanned aircraft from larger manned or unmanned aircraft, Layne Merritt said in an interview at the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual summit.

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Defense and Space

Three Aviation Content Marketing Successful Stories

Article | June 8, 2022

Let’s be honest! Customers support advertising. But they seek out information. In a marketing world where advertising reigns, aviation customers want well-researched, proficiently crafted informative content that tells stories, explains products, and helps them make smart decisions. Content: Builds Credibility and Influence with Information When you make a decision, you seek out the most credible sources of information available on the internet or off the net. However, for many aviation consumers, content types like publications, blogs, whitepapers, and other high-quality are the most preferred to read. A consistent flow of information maintains the credibility of your publication and communication with your clients, customers, or stakeholders. This can only be possible when you have a good content marketing strategy. Good content marketing, as marketers say, is an all-hands-on-deck affair. Strategizing, content production, analysis, audits, and reviews play a vital role in creating great content marketing ideas. In addition, you need to coordinate with different departments to meticulously create a plan of action that hits the right audience at the right time with an accurate message. But remember, even if you plan it in the right way, things can go wrong. And you might feel that nothing more can be done, even having perfect airline marketing strategies. So, in such a moment of disparity, for your aviation marketing, it’s helpful to revisit some of the most amazing content marketing strategies successful stories out on the internet to get inspired and give a new perspective to your next content marketing ideas. Content Marketing: Stories Let us have a look at the excellent content marketing success stories. The following examples showcase the suitable approaches you can have for your next content marketing campaigns. So, take a look and learn to craft a better strategy. JetBlue’s Campaign Towards Passenger Concerns The airline industry has had its share of ups and downs in executing airline marketing strategies and airline advertisement plans since the pandemic outbreak in 2020. Under such conditions, low-cost airline JetBlue showcased its brand stand above all these struggles. Their content marketing strategy that creates compelling, engaging, and informative content consistently helped convey the brand message to the audience and build brand image. The Strategy JetBlue’s content marketing ideas focus on humanizes its approaches. For example, the company launched a campaign that awarded passengers with rewards points. The airline’s digital marketing strategy, at every level, has a unique way of providing information to its audience and offering solutions. This way, it offered the clients more reasons to engage with its brand. The brand used blogs and media coverage to engage with its clients. Here are the following content strategies it used: Timely published airline articles attracted instant attention of visitors to the website. The information provided in the article was about the usage of technology and successful collaborations to ease the operations. Filled the website with timeless articles that served information to overcome the pandemic challenges and provide value in real-time. Always tried to go with the trends, latest news, and updates. As updates were in time, it maximized clicks and engagements. The Outcome Content published and strategies implemented successfully enabled JetBlue to acknowledge their audiences’ concerns. The information provided solved the persistent problems of the audience. This approach resulted in a significant hike in the percentage of website visitors, which eventually grew traffic. Copa Airlines’ DotDigital Copa Airlines, like other airlines, also wanted to streamline the operational processes allied with content marketing campaigns, emails to target the most of audiences, and stabilizing its market position. It was all because the manual process took up a long time and contributed to accuracy errors. As part of its recovery plan, it also wanted to become more agile in its email and content marketing by synchronizing the gap between website visits and email triggers to focus actively on capitalizing on the demand. The Strategy Copa Airlines’ partnering with dotdigital, a marketing and engagement platform, successfully implemented the campaigns. It focused only on active audiences and accurately understand the purpose. By employing powerful content creatives to create and automate email copies with variations, it was able to restructure the process and added personalization that subjected audiences’ demands and preferences. The Outcome Copa enhanced its brand visibility, which boosted conversions by 2%. This result led to a 14% hike in revenue, thus improved its ROI. With the addition of automation and personalization, Copa also experienced an 11% drop in unsubscribe numbers. This pointed towards the increased engagement of audiences with the new content marketing strategy. AirAsia’s Media Business Expansion AirAsia’s topmost concern towards its business expansion was content marketing, media, data, and adtech. The brand wants these functionalities to perform on the top in revenue growth and lift its performance in 2021 & beyond. To grow its business, it focuses more on engagement and providing value to its audience. It seeks to build a more substantial base of audiences than before. Since early 2020, the brand accelerated its digital business by demonstrating product offerings through blogs, video, and chats. The content information provided through the content marketing strategy was more authentic, relevant, and delivered significant value to customers. The Strategy The brand runs campaigns using self-service adtech and content platforms. The company has a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), through which it created RedCarpet that focuses on smart campaigns with the help of content creation capabilities. The Outcome The critical part of the RedCarpet initiative is it created multiple partnerships signed for the upcoming quarter of 2021. It also introduced flexibility in tech offerings to the customer through various content generation on its website and social media channels. But, most importantly, the brand took a step ahead to enhance content services as a publisher. This is a new investment straightaway to become the pandemic warrior in the airline industry. The brand envisions surged engagement among customers and potential audiences once travel restrictions are lifted. Thus, AirAsia’s database will have more users in the coming years. Frequently Asked Questions Why is the need to educate audiences in the airline industry becoming necessary? Today consumers are becoming smart. They are saturated with businesses offering the same repeated product or service. So, being educated help them to make informed decisions. And creates loyalty towards the brand along with a long-term relationship. How can content marketing help to address target audiences in the airline industry? Content marketing can help in addressing the queries of the client at various levels of the process. This strengthens a positive outlook towards the brand and probably motivates them to become part of the brand. How to use content marketing to increase brand image in the airline industry? Follow these steps to increase your brand image using content marketing: Create a brand that tells a story about offerings to the audience Research on the unexplored side of your industry which is still untouched and thus attract eyeballs to drive your brand Think of expanding content created out of your research Create evergreen content pieces Create a live website and include the easiest ways for visitors to approach { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Why is the need to educate audiences in the airline industry becoming necessary?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Today consumers are becoming smart. They are saturated with businesses offering the same repeated product or service. So, being educated help them to make informed decisions. And creates loyalty towards the brand along with a long-term relationship." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How can content marketing help to address target audiences in the airline industry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Content marketing can help in addressing the queries of the client at various levels of the process. This strengthens a positive outlook towards the brand and probably motivates them to become part of the brand." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How to use content marketing to increase brand image in the airline industry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Follow these steps to increase your brand image using content marketing: Create a brand that tells a story about offerings to the audience Research on the unexplored side of your industry which is still untouched and thus attract eyeballs to drive your brand Think of expanding content created out of your research Create evergreen content pieces Create a live website and include the easiest ways for visitors to approach" } }] }

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Air Transport

AI-Powered Ingredients to Enhance Airline Customer Experience in 2022

Article | July 6, 2022

Experience is Everything—human or mechanical. But Get it Right. "AI's potential doesn't solely lie in its ability to improve business efficiency. Rather it lies in its ability to bridge the gap between businesses and customers. AI-powered communications enable for surged personalized and strengthening of information, stimulating customer trust and customer experiences." - Kevin Gosschalk, CEO, Arkose Labs, in a conversation with Media 7. Whether you make payments with a single tap in apps, ask Alexa to instruct in your smartphones, select Google assistance to find flights, or connect to airline companies, digital transformation is omnipresent. So, the appreciation comes naturally for how today's digital atmosphere transforms and affects our lives in every way. Yes, you heard that right! Using Google assistance to find flights is not the new way the industry uses AI. Instead, it has enhanced its way of AI usage into its process and operations. Like other businesses, aviation businesses are catching up well in using data and technology. With the help of these, they now create more compelling and prompter customer experiences. The developments and revenues in the global aviation industry are skyrocketing. The industry expects almost 8.2 billion passengers to fly around the world by 2037. The rising numbers are because of digital transformation. The most interesting thing is aviation now has to manage high expectations of digital-savvy customers. It will be even more interesting now! Before the blog breaks into discussing the futuristic airline customer experience, let's look at the flashback of the past customer experience scenarios (challenges) that prevailed in the airline industry. Past Customer Experience Scenario in Airline The aviation industry in 2018 recorded 4.4 billion passengers flying around the world. Furthermore, according to the IATA reports, the count is anticipated to reach 8.2 billion by 2037. But the industry is increasingly lacking behind in customer experience. Complex booking procedures and missing out on the best flight offers because of complex app/website navigation and other potential customer services are issues raised in air travel today. Apart from this, customers also raise concerns over inflight infotainment systems. The systems merely do their job. Therefore, as many airport terminals are still empty, customer service representatives are working harder to overcome such issues. As the industry has stepped into the fourth industrial revolution, AI rewards the best experiences for travels and other airline customer services. Now, airline marketers can find diverse AI-based digital solutions to sail through the cloud. And the findings are quite remarkable. Let's come to the part where you will know how AI is helping the aviation industry scale its customer services. How Can AI Enrich Airline and Scale Customer Services? Airlines that leverage AI customer experience have had a significant advantage during the pandemic time. Their insights have been put into enriching the entire aviation business. Let's understand the 'how.' Get Multiple Output in Seconds When the demand for air fly rise, offering immediate services for customer handling teams becomes stressful. However, with AI, instances like this get a perfect solution. AI can handle an infinite number of customers' demands at once. By leveraging AI-based digital solutions, you can scale up fulfilling airline operations in seconds. As a result, teams in your firm can easily diminish the increased demand for services and serve remarkable customer experience. The benefit of AI can also be seen crosswise support channels. For instance, WestJet's ticket volume surged by 71% on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp during the beginning weeks of COVID-19 disruption in North America. However, the airline kept its response time low as its virtual agent Juliet ultimately resolved 87% of tickets. Identity New and Trending Issues Aviation is an industry of challenges. Issues and obstacles keep knocking on the door of airline companies. In such cases, AI informs if there are any trending issues over channels. For example, during the COVID-19 outbreak, new onboard safety issues and questions towards social distancing surfaced for the first time. However, airlines have never come through about social distancing. So, by leveraging AI, they created a responsive plan for customers. They communicated the same through AI-enabled solutions on websites and applications. In response to the coronavirus, Gartner suggests that companies should use chatbots in digital channels to focus on the most ordinarily asked questions to give solutions for customers. Feedback Analysis Air travel can be stressful at times, even for frequent and experienced travelers. For example, it could be passport-related or booking tickets, baggage checks, ticket prints, arrivals, departures, seat assistance, etc. So, by analysis of data, artificial intelligence in customer experience learns about these pain points of airports and flight experiences. In this way, customer experience can be improved and enhanced simultaneously. Then comes feedback. Using AI for feedback analysis, airlines can research the market. It can make informed decisions related to processes and operations. "AI systems can quickly allow airlines to discover opportunities to intervene in the customer journey and turn a miserable experience into a delightful one. It also allows companies to respond faster in a synchronized and regulated way that is uniform with the business's values. Ultimately, we want to understand how an airline can fascinate a customer as well as where there is an abrasion in the customer journey and figure out how to fix it," - CEO of PureStrategy Inc. Briana Brownell Briana highlights the growing relevance of natural language used in AI. Understanding technology in the processing and analysis of customer experience data thus allows businesses to explore the customer journey in their own words. For example, ANIE, an AI assistance, can help customers find, book, and pay for flights. Effective Communication The speed of responsive communication to customer queries is highly considered to resolve issues. For example, airport issues like flight delays or baggage loss crop up quite often throwing. As a result, travelers usually get into a state of nervousness. However, when they do not get a response or explanation to their problems, they start considering other airlines for their future trips. In these cases, AI software deployment can speed up and simplify services, automatically enhancing airline customer experience. In addition, effective customer emails with exact information can also solve significant issues and streamline employees' workflow using natural text. Another way to automate and improve airline customer experience is chatbot development. Today, many airlines enhance their customer support with AI-powered chatbots on their websites and mobile applications. The Business Insider’s research report says that by 2022, over 80% of airline businesses are likely to have chatbot automation implemented in operations. These chatbots help passengers with bookings, managing flight schedules, and updating customers about general flight information. In addition, they can post queries and other types of assistance to get quick responses. Self-Services at Airports Easy self-check-ins, ticket booths, and overall communication (from booking to destination arrival) add to the comprehensive AI-based digital solutions. The pandemic forced the aviation industry to witness the extraordinary rise of numerous contactless technologies. So, airports are now more focused on providing self-services for customers. These include contactless payments, luggage checks, robotic assistance for queries, and more like these. Self-service systems in airports are critical automated systems. AI technology is installed to automate passenger journeys without any hurdles. Today, airline companies and airports implement an end-to-end solution using artificial intelligence in customer experience to facilitate smooth passenger air travel and operations. In case of point, Delta Airlines, one of the world's largest global airlines, uses intelligent systems such as Fly to Gate by Thales. The system works with biometrics technology. The employees use it for the document scanning process to recognize and verify passengers at security checks. Such technology reduces passenger check-in time and improves customer experience. Future of AI Customer Experience in Airline Industry There are many shreds of evidence that customers increasingly want a personal touch with their communications. They adore personalized services. Even airline companies are seeking profound connections with their customers. And this is the right time to act by offering personalized customer experiences. Today, AI makes it possible for the entire airline industry to enhance customer experience with automation, provide self-service solutions, ensure safe air travel, and more. Technology is a powerful tool for airlines to make informed decisions that they couldn't take in the past few years. Now airlines can make decisions faster on essential decisions such as on pricing of tickets by analyzing data, enabling secure authentication of customers than before. Ultimately, the success of artificial intelligence in customer experience is driven by having a deep understanding of different customer segments. By harnessing the power of conversational AI, airline businesses can improve their ROI, nurture long-term customer relationships, metrics being the core elements. Frequently Asked Questions How can airline companies improve their customer experience? To improve customer experience, airline companies can follow these ways: Focus on knowing the target audience Meet unique and specific customer needs Keep customers engaged on social media platforms Make smart customer-targeted decisions Be responsive towards customers How does AI play its role in aviation concerning customer experiences these days? AI plays a crucial role in helping customers in aviation to find the correct information more efficiently. It actively helps analyze customers' data and recommend services based on their browsing preferences about flights. How does AI improve customer experience? AI enables the power to strengthen customer engagement, encourage activities, and improve customer retention. Although not a replacement for human beings, it does help increase the efficiency of serving — like answering frequently asked questions, providing the correct information, and being available 24*7. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How can airline companies improve their customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "To improve customer experience, airline companies can follow these ways: Focus on knowing the target audience Meet unique and specific customer needs Keep customers engaged on social media platforms Make smart customer-targeted decisions Be responsive towards customers" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How does AI play its role in aviation concerning customer experiences these days?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "AI plays a crucial role in helping customers in aviation to find the correct information more efficiently. It actively helps analyze customers' data and recommend services based on their browsing preferences about flights." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How does AI improve customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "AI enables the power to strengthen customer engagement, encourage activities, and improve customer retention. Although not a replacement for human beings, it does help increase the efficiency of serving — like answering frequently asked questions, providing the correct information, and being available 24*7." } }] }

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Business Aviation

On-Time Performance in 2021: A Sneak Peek at the Most Punctual Airlines

Article | January 28, 2022

Every month OAG updates its year-to-date Punctuality League table to provide an ongoing ranking of the world’s largest airlines and airports alongside its Monthly on-time performance (OTP) data. The list is based on the twenty largest airlines (by number of flights operated) known as Mega Airlines, and we provide a Top 10 ranking. With November Monthly OTPs now in, we have 11 months of data to take an early look at how these Mega Airlines have performed to date. And whilst we have another month of data go, it is great to share some early insights before we release final numbers early next year.All the Top 10 airlines in our sneak preview currently come in with an OTP of over 85%. When compared to 2019, the last year of ‘normal’ flying, the Top 10 Mega airlines achieved OTP of between 75% and 86%, so this is a clear indication of just how much punctuality has improved over the past year.

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Business Aviation

Airline Marketing: Evolving Through COVID-19 Impact & Rebuilding Future

Article | August 31, 2021

The unprecedented wave of Covid 19 created significant turbulence in the aviation industry that made the industry face daunting new challenges. However, as airlines continue to respond to the challenges, the marketers remain focused on paving the way for quick recovery. Whereas, aviation experts admitted that this black swan event impacted the airline industry roughly. The impact of COVID-19 on airlines was forced to face bankruptcy, destruction of financial packages, and complete changes in the airline industry in terms of security. Therefore, while keeping the fact that COVID-19 will have longer-term repercussions, it’s imperative the airline industry would quickly reduce the impact on its stakeholders and operations. And for this, airlines need to go beyond conventional thinking and come forward in using technology to dig in for the long haul. Airline Industry: Riddled with Challenges Amid COVID-19 Given the airline market behavior during the Covid-19 crisis, it has many opportunities to target different marketing segments through direct and indirect channels. However, some complexities that challenged building an effective marketing strategy were: Drop-in Revenues According to KPMG, commercial revenue has been a rich source of income in airline businesses; it contributed more than 50% of inclusive revenues in the airline industry. However, a large share of revenue is generated by marketing which has completely dried up with minimum footfalls. Reduced economic growth, absence of remote work arrangements, and loss of operational models have been some of the fallen parts of the airline industry to deal with this new reality. IATA, at first, stated that airline revenues could fall by $314 billion in 2020 owing to COVID-19, which is a fall of 55% compared to 2019. However, further analysis revealed that it fell $419 billion more in the same year. Also, the second quarter of 2020 saw a nearby decline to $43.5 billion in revenues compared to the projected baseline, a reduction of more than 1%. Impact on Future Investments The impact of COVID-19 on airlines was much on the plan for future investments and asset building. These areas posed significant challenges for airline businesses and investors to monetize assets or repurpose them to create shareholder value. In other ways, competition from newer asset-light businesses also posed an additional challenge on asset building and profitability. How has Airline Industry Retorted to the Pandemic? Most businesses have reduced all new investments, freezing shares, maintenance, and partnership costs. These have been the extreme response expected in the war—COVID-19, which is even gimmer than war. But, despite all the impact of COVID-19 on airlines, airlines have responded with alacrity. The crisis made them stand by quickly developing new business processes and operations, research models. In a longer time, changes in the airline industry weren’t so significant. Airlines are also witnessing a radical shift in their development priorities and unique opportunities to conduct research. The desire to provide additional pressure on revenue management systems to predict demand more accurately has also been the core force of development. Let’s understand more under the following points: Technology Makeover In a progressively evolving digital-only landscape, the technology carries more value if used well. Investing in the right tools and technology can help monetize assets better and significantly improve operating efficiency and customer experience. Refocus on Cost-line Innovations in marketing strategies, technology can suggestively change the cost of providing services for both airlines and airports. It can help give more pressure on both affordability and profitability. This area of transformation can stimulate significant savings in operating costs and could become the norm for the best performance of marketing. Innovate COVID-19 has spawned the best inventions and innovations. The value of data and technology that you have access to today cannot be overstated. Yet, the aviation industry has shown the resilience to come back stronger and smarter. Therefore, there is a necessity for a thoughtful, analytical, and consistent approach to reforms to help the industry function at a newer and higher altitude and redefine its new normal. The changing geopolitical marketing scenario and impending operational shifts globally demand a swift and nimble approach. Advantageous changes in airline industrial policy in COVID-19 will be required to feat the opportunity, with accrete marketing strategic gains and create a better future. In a nutshell, airlines had to reinvent how they looked at bookings, employee management, and revenue management, as the previous curves were no longer relevant, and the training data used for machine learning algorithms were no longer valid. Now, airline businesses are exploring novel ways to shorten the old methods used in forecasting, pick up on trends more quickly, and incorporate demand adjustments made by manual revenue management users. Finally, the writing is evident on the wall—as airline stocks continue to falter (by 16 to 20%), the industry needs to go beyond conventional thinking and use technology to dig in for the long haul. Airline Marketing: Path to Recovery with 3 Important Tech-Strategies Inclusion of Advanced Analytics In the next five years, airline businesses will proceed to develop their ability to install advanced analytics. Although the industry has been using advanced data and analytics, there are expectations that marketing leaders will expand the entire value chain of analytics more progressively. Data-backed analytics will render insights to pinpoint geo-specific interventions for maximum ROI. While traditional sources of competitive advantage for airlines such as products, networks, technology will continue to gain importance, it is believed that increased usage of data science and advanced analytics will help the industry to augment these sources to deliver notable performance improvement. Rapid Adoption of Data Science The aviation industry is part of the change, too, in terms of technology development. Airline Technologies in Covid is radically varying the way businesses connect with their customers. The data required is allowing businesses to take informed steps towards operational efficiency. While embracing new technologies, changes in the airline industry are witnessing the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) to the maximum so that businesses can operate in the post-COVID-19 scenario. Control of Digital Solutions As airline market behavior during the Covid-19 crisis has incurred changes in the airline industry, the control of digital solutions has come to the rescue. The solutions are in need to shift resources and efficiently scale to maintain operations. Digital tools can help with a wide range of business efficiency, sales and revenue management, marketing, and network planning. Opportunities to Reimagine in Post COVID-19 Era Here are the significant ways in which it could be done. Operating Model Airlines today need a data-driven operating model with a mindset that pushes accountability across each touchpoint in the business journey. Marketing teams should be organized around journey stages keeping technological aspects on board. The operating model should be accompanied by KPIs that should be measured across the customer journey and regularly shared with every team member. Digital Transformation The airline industry could consider stepping up IT, digital, and automation investment now. The crucial strategies for digital transformation are driving data-driven platforms and personalization. Tracking business interaction at every touchpoint with the brands and their products enables better predictive analytics. This means integrating digital solutions with enterprise systems and making the data available at the point-of-sale for sales associates to view, interpret and recommend products accordingly will enhance the convenience of operations. In the case of point, airlines businesses can respond to the faster recovery of short-haul flights by investing in direct sales, owning the customer relationship. Also, relationships with IT and its providers could be re-considered and explore from a technologically perspective. Beyond this, other initiatives which involve efforts like using data in smarter ways to enhance decision making, requiring some investment to yield significant payoffs, are in the line of digital investments. Virtual Reality Gone are the days with COVID-19, when customers were physically involved in the airline business and running it successfully. Unfortunately, the panic of the pandemic is here to stay as a part of our life. So, companies will need to think out of the box. Several tools are available in the market today to avoid physical interactions. Brands have introduced their own ‘Virtual test and try’ tools for marketing and sales purposes. For instance, Guerlain invested in gamification and launched a mobile game called ‘WeChat’ to promote its sales deck. Similarly, to enhance the operational desk, Lancôme introduced ‘Virtual Mirror’ - an augmented reality virtual makeover app.12 ‘Modiface’- a Canadian AR and AI company, was purchased. Its product performs virtual try-on simulations and is enabled to support live video for all airline operations. So, the crisis and issues the airline industry facing in the Covid‑19 on revenue generation will still be intensely felt in 2021-2022, as it was earlier. But it is expected that the coming quarter of 2021 will show improvements compared to the previous. This means the industry, which was moving from a decline of 7% in the first quarter of 2021, will see a decline of 35.2% in the fourth quarter compared to the projected baseline. How to Plan a Marketing Strategy for your Airline Company? Being in the market already, you can understand where the roots of a marketing campaign come from. Nearly all the airline businesses arise their marketing activities from their vital target group or according to the demand to promote a new product. There is no solitary way to create a marketing campaign because it involves many company-specific details. Here, you will need to understand how you can stay ahead of your competitors in the marketing field to yield revenue. Here is a brief sum-up of some valuable points that can help you. Stick with your Customer Segment: Business or corporate travelers differ in their travel behavior and priorities. So, while you run a marketing campaign, it should highlight this factor as a prime concern. Focus on the Product you will Market: This point covers that you need to consider that all the product dimensions (digital, physical, service) to market should consider on parameters like how do you want it to market, what are your secondary aims, and how can you benefit from customer actions. Foster Interaction: So, try to keep as much interaction with your customers as possible. It does help to build loyalty, establish relations with your brand, and source valuable data about your customers. By doing this, you will be able to create a personalized experience for them in the future. Be loyal: As long as you are not an ultra-low-cost airline operator, you will perhaps have to reward the loyalty your frequent customers give you. Special offers, discounts, and loyalty programs make your brand a company to stick with forever. Keep an Eye on Competitors: As the airline market has high competition and competitors, your team creating a marketing strategy must include two key elements: your market position and your competitors. And the last, you must maintain a balance between competition and customer loyalty at any cost. Frequently Asked Questions What are the top three issues the airline industry is facing in the Covid‑19? Although the airline industry faced several challenges, the worse challenges were: Sluggishness in travel/travel bans Loss of revenue Data loss Which airlines have been most affected by coronavirus? The list of airlines worst affected by covid-19 goes as: China Southern Hainan Airlines Singapore airlines Japan airlines Korean Air & Asiana Middle Asia British Airways United Airlines What is the future of the aviation industry after covid-19? From the perspective of the COVID-19 scenario, the aviation industry needs to pick itself up and begin rebuilding. From hygiene and health standards to aircraft data management to monitor an aircraft’s components and onboard equipment can transform airline operations. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the top three issues the airline industry is facing in the Covid 19?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Although the airline industry faced several challenges, the worse challenges were: Sluggishness in travel/travel bans Loss of revenue Data loss" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Which airlines have been most affected by coronavirus?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The list of airlines worst affected by covid-19 goes as: China Southern Hainan Airlines Singapore airlines Japan airlines Korean Air & Asiana Middle Asia British Airways United Airlines" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the future of the aviation industry after covid-19?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "From the perspective of the COVID-19 scenario, the aviation industry needs to pick itself up and begin rebuilding. From hygiene and health standards to aircraft data management to monitor an aircraft’s components and onboard equipment can transform airline operations." } }] }

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Defense and Space

5 Digital Strategies for the Aviation Industry

Article | June 8, 2022

Let’s be honest! Customers support advertising. But they seek out information. In a marketing world where advertising reigns, aviation customers want well-researched, proficiently crafted informative content that tells stories, explains products, and helps them make smart decisions. Content: Builds Credibility and Influence with Information When you make a decision, you seek out the most credible sources of information available on the internet or off the net. However, for many aviation consumers, content types like publications, blogs, whitepapers, and other high-quality are the most preferred to read. A consistent flow of information maintains the credibility of your publication and communication with your clients, customers, or stakeholders. This can only be possible when you have a good content marketing strategy. Good content marketing, as marketers say, is an all-hands-on-deck affair. Strategizing, content production, analysis, audits, and reviews play a vital role in creating great content marketing ideas. In addition, you need to coordinate with different departments to meticulously create a plan of action that hits the right audience at the right time with an accurate message. But remember, even if you plan it in the right way, things can go wrong. And you might feel that nothing more can be done, even having perfect airline marketing strategies. So, in such a moment of disparity, for your aviation marketing, it’s helpful to revisit some of the most amazing content marketing strategies successful stories out on the internet to get inspired and give a new perspective to your next content marketing ideas. Content Marketing: Stories Let us have a look at the excellent content marketing success stories. The following examples showcase the suitable approaches you can have for your next content marketing campaigns. So, take a look and learn to craft a better strategy. JetBlue’s Campaign Towards Passenger Concerns The airline industry has had its share of ups and downs in executing airline marketing strategies and airline advertisement plans since the pandemic outbreak in 2020. Under such conditions, low-cost airline JetBlue showcased its brand stand above all these struggles. Their content marketing strategy that creates compelling, engaging, and informative content consistently helped convey the brand message to the audience and build brand image. The Strategy JetBlue’s content marketing ideas focus on humanizes its approaches. For example, the company launched a campaign that awarded passengers with rewards points. The airline’s digital marketing strategy, at every level, has a unique way of providing information to its audience and offering solutions. This way, it offered the clients more reasons to engage with its brand. The brand used blogs and media coverage to engage with its clients. Here are the following content strategies it used: Timely published airline articles attracted instant attention of visitors to the website. The information provided in the article was about the usage of technology and successful collaborations to ease the operations. Filled the website with timeless articles that served information to overcome the pandemic challenges and provide value in real-time. Always tried to go with the trends, latest news, and updates. As updates were in time, it maximized clicks and engagements. The Outcome Content published and strategies implemented successfully enabled JetBlue to acknowledge their audiences’ concerns. The information provided solved the persistent problems of the audience. This approach resulted in a significant hike in the percentage of website visitors, which eventually grew traffic. Copa Airlines’ DotDigital Copa Airlines, like other airlines, also wanted to streamline the operational processes allied with content marketing campaigns, emails to target the most of audiences, and stabilizing its market position. It was all because the manual process took up a long time and contributed to accuracy errors. As part of its recovery plan, it also wanted to become more agile in its email and content marketing by synchronizing the gap between website visits and email triggers to focus actively on capitalizing on the demand. The Strategy Copa Airlines’ partnering with dotdigital, a marketing and engagement platform, successfully implemented the campaigns. It focused only on active audiences and accurately understand the purpose. By employing powerful content creatives to create and automate email copies with variations, it was able to restructure the process and added personalization that subjected audiences’ demands and preferences. The Outcome Copa enhanced its brand visibility, which boosted conversions by 2%. This result led to a 14% hike in revenue, thus improved its ROI. With the addition of automation and personalization, Copa also experienced an 11% drop in unsubscribe numbers. This pointed towards the increased engagement of audiences with the new content marketing strategy. AirAsia’s Media Business Expansion AirAsia’s topmost concern towards its business expansion was content marketing, media, data, and adtech. The brand wants these functionalities to perform on the top in revenue growth and lift its performance in 2021 & beyond. To grow its business, it focuses more on engagement and providing value to its audience. It seeks to build a more substantial base of audiences than before. Since early 2020, the brand accelerated its digital business by demonstrating product offerings through blogs, video, and chats. The content information provided through the content marketing strategy was more authentic, relevant, and delivered significant value to customers. The Strategy The brand runs campaigns using self-service adtech and content platforms. The company has a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), through which it created RedCarpet that focuses on smart campaigns with the help of content creation capabilities. The Outcome The critical part of the RedCarpet initiative is it created multiple partnerships signed for the upcoming quarter of 2021. It also introduced flexibility in tech offerings to the customer through various content generation on its website and social media channels. But, most importantly, the brand took a step ahead to enhance content services as a publisher. This is a new investment straightaway to become the pandemic warrior in the airline industry. The brand envisions surged engagement among customers and potential audiences once travel restrictions are lifted. Thus, AirAsia’s database will have more users in the coming years. Frequently Asked Questions Why is the need to educate audiences in the airline industry becoming necessary? Today consumers are becoming smart. They are saturated with businesses offering the same repeated product or service. So, being educated help them to make informed decisions. And creates loyalty towards the brand along with a long-term relationship. How can content marketing help to address target audiences in the airline industry? Content marketing can help in addressing the queries of the client at various levels of the process. This strengthens a positive outlook towards the brand and probably motivates them to become part of the brand. How to use content marketing to increase brand image in the airline industry? Follow these steps to increase your brand image using content marketing: Create a brand that tells a story about offerings to the audience Research on the unexplored side of your industry which is still untouched and thus attract eyeballs to drive your brand Think of expanding content created out of your research Create evergreen content pieces Create a live website and include the easiest ways for visitors to approach { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Why is the need to educate audiences in the airline industry becoming necessary?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Today consumers are becoming smart. They are saturated with businesses offering the same repeated product or service. So, being educated help them to make informed decisions. And creates loyalty towards the brand along with a long-term relationship." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How can content marketing help to address target audiences in the airline industry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Content marketing can help in addressing the queries of the client at various levels of the process. This strengthens a positive outlook towards the brand and probably motivates them to become part of the brand." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How to use content marketing to increase brand image in the airline industry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Follow these steps to increase your brand image using content marketing: Create a brand that tells a story about offerings to the audience Research on the unexplored side of your industry which is still untouched and thus attract eyeballs to drive your brand Think of expanding content created out of your research Create evergreen content pieces Create a live website and include the easiest ways for visitors to approach" } }] }

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Air Transport

A Peek into The Future of Piloting Airplanes

Article | July 6, 2022

Experience is Everything—human or mechanical. But Get it Right. "AI's potential doesn't solely lie in its ability to improve business efficiency. Rather it lies in its ability to bridge the gap between businesses and customers. AI-powered communications enable for surged personalized and strengthening of information, stimulating customer trust and customer experiences." - Kevin Gosschalk, CEO, Arkose Labs, in a conversation with Media 7. Whether you make payments with a single tap in apps, ask Alexa to instruct in your smartphones, select Google assistance to find flights, or connect to airline companies, digital transformation is omnipresent. So, the appreciation comes naturally for how today's digital atmosphere transforms and affects our lives in every way. Yes, you heard that right! Using Google assistance to find flights is not the new way the industry uses AI. Instead, it has enhanced its way of AI usage into its process and operations. Like other businesses, aviation businesses are catching up well in using data and technology. With the help of these, they now create more compelling and prompter customer experiences. The developments and revenues in the global aviation industry are skyrocketing. The industry expects almost 8.2 billion passengers to fly around the world by 2037. The rising numbers are because of digital transformation. The most interesting thing is aviation now has to manage high expectations of digital-savvy customers. It will be even more interesting now! Before the blog breaks into discussing the futuristic airline customer experience, let's look at the flashback of the past customer experience scenarios (challenges) that prevailed in the airline industry. Past Customer Experience Scenario in Airline The aviation industry in 2018 recorded 4.4 billion passengers flying around the world. Furthermore, according to the IATA reports, the count is anticipated to reach 8.2 billion by 2037. But the industry is increasingly lacking behind in customer experience. Complex booking procedures and missing out on the best flight offers because of complex app/website navigation and other potential customer services are issues raised in air travel today. Apart from this, customers also raise concerns over inflight infotainment systems. The systems merely do their job. Therefore, as many airport terminals are still empty, customer service representatives are working harder to overcome such issues. As the industry has stepped into the fourth industrial revolution, AI rewards the best experiences for travels and other airline customer services. Now, airline marketers can find diverse AI-based digital solutions to sail through the cloud. And the findings are quite remarkable. Let's come to the part where you will know how AI is helping the aviation industry scale its customer services. How Can AI Enrich Airline and Scale Customer Services? Airlines that leverage AI customer experience have had a significant advantage during the pandemic time. Their insights have been put into enriching the entire aviation business. Let's understand the 'how.' Get Multiple Output in Seconds When the demand for air fly rise, offering immediate services for customer handling teams becomes stressful. However, with AI, instances like this get a perfect solution. AI can handle an infinite number of customers' demands at once. By leveraging AI-based digital solutions, you can scale up fulfilling airline operations in seconds. As a result, teams in your firm can easily diminish the increased demand for services and serve remarkable customer experience. The benefit of AI can also be seen crosswise support channels. For instance, WestJet's ticket volume surged by 71% on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp during the beginning weeks of COVID-19 disruption in North America. However, the airline kept its response time low as its virtual agent Juliet ultimately resolved 87% of tickets. Identity New and Trending Issues Aviation is an industry of challenges. Issues and obstacles keep knocking on the door of airline companies. In such cases, AI informs if there are any trending issues over channels. For example, during the COVID-19 outbreak, new onboard safety issues and questions towards social distancing surfaced for the first time. However, airlines have never come through about social distancing. So, by leveraging AI, they created a responsive plan for customers. They communicated the same through AI-enabled solutions on websites and applications. In response to the coronavirus, Gartner suggests that companies should use chatbots in digital channels to focus on the most ordinarily asked questions to give solutions for customers. Feedback Analysis Air travel can be stressful at times, even for frequent and experienced travelers. For example, it could be passport-related or booking tickets, baggage checks, ticket prints, arrivals, departures, seat assistance, etc. So, by analysis of data, artificial intelligence in customer experience learns about these pain points of airports and flight experiences. In this way, customer experience can be improved and enhanced simultaneously. Then comes feedback. Using AI for feedback analysis, airlines can research the market. It can make informed decisions related to processes and operations. "AI systems can quickly allow airlines to discover opportunities to intervene in the customer journey and turn a miserable experience into a delightful one. It also allows companies to respond faster in a synchronized and regulated way that is uniform with the business's values. Ultimately, we want to understand how an airline can fascinate a customer as well as where there is an abrasion in the customer journey and figure out how to fix it," - CEO of PureStrategy Inc. Briana Brownell Briana highlights the growing relevance of natural language used in AI. Understanding technology in the processing and analysis of customer experience data thus allows businesses to explore the customer journey in their own words. For example, ANIE, an AI assistance, can help customers find, book, and pay for flights. Effective Communication The speed of responsive communication to customer queries is highly considered to resolve issues. For example, airport issues like flight delays or baggage loss crop up quite often throwing. As a result, travelers usually get into a state of nervousness. However, when they do not get a response or explanation to their problems, they start considering other airlines for their future trips. In these cases, AI software deployment can speed up and simplify services, automatically enhancing airline customer experience. In addition, effective customer emails with exact information can also solve significant issues and streamline employees' workflow using natural text. Another way to automate and improve airline customer experience is chatbot development. Today, many airlines enhance their customer support with AI-powered chatbots on their websites and mobile applications. The Business Insider’s research report says that by 2022, over 80% of airline businesses are likely to have chatbot automation implemented in operations. These chatbots help passengers with bookings, managing flight schedules, and updating customers about general flight information. In addition, they can post queries and other types of assistance to get quick responses. Self-Services at Airports Easy self-check-ins, ticket booths, and overall communication (from booking to destination arrival) add to the comprehensive AI-based digital solutions. The pandemic forced the aviation industry to witness the extraordinary rise of numerous contactless technologies. So, airports are now more focused on providing self-services for customers. These include contactless payments, luggage checks, robotic assistance for queries, and more like these. Self-service systems in airports are critical automated systems. AI technology is installed to automate passenger journeys without any hurdles. Today, airline companies and airports implement an end-to-end solution using artificial intelligence in customer experience to facilitate smooth passenger air travel and operations. In case of point, Delta Airlines, one of the world's largest global airlines, uses intelligent systems such as Fly to Gate by Thales. The system works with biometrics technology. The employees use it for the document scanning process to recognize and verify passengers at security checks. Such technology reduces passenger check-in time and improves customer experience. Future of AI Customer Experience in Airline Industry There are many shreds of evidence that customers increasingly want a personal touch with their communications. They adore personalized services. Even airline companies are seeking profound connections with their customers. And this is the right time to act by offering personalized customer experiences. Today, AI makes it possible for the entire airline industry to enhance customer experience with automation, provide self-service solutions, ensure safe air travel, and more. Technology is a powerful tool for airlines to make informed decisions that they couldn't take in the past few years. Now airlines can make decisions faster on essential decisions such as on pricing of tickets by analyzing data, enabling secure authentication of customers than before. Ultimately, the success of artificial intelligence in customer experience is driven by having a deep understanding of different customer segments. By harnessing the power of conversational AI, airline businesses can improve their ROI, nurture long-term customer relationships, metrics being the core elements. Frequently Asked Questions How can airline companies improve their customer experience? To improve customer experience, airline companies can follow these ways: Focus on knowing the target audience Meet unique and specific customer needs Keep customers engaged on social media platforms Make smart customer-targeted decisions Be responsive towards customers How does AI play its role in aviation concerning customer experiences these days? AI plays a crucial role in helping customers in aviation to find the correct information more efficiently. It actively helps analyze customers' data and recommend services based on their browsing preferences about flights. How does AI improve customer experience? AI enables the power to strengthen customer engagement, encourage activities, and improve customer retention. Although not a replacement for human beings, it does help increase the efficiency of serving — like answering frequently asked questions, providing the correct information, and being available 24*7. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How can airline companies improve their customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "To improve customer experience, airline companies can follow these ways: Focus on knowing the target audience Meet unique and specific customer needs Keep customers engaged on social media platforms Make smart customer-targeted decisions Be responsive towards customers" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How does AI play its role in aviation concerning customer experiences these days?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "AI plays a crucial role in helping customers in aviation to find the correct information more efficiently. It actively helps analyze customers' data and recommend services based on their browsing preferences about flights." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "How does AI improve customer experience?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "AI enables the power to strengthen customer engagement, encourage activities, and improve customer retention. Although not a replacement for human beings, it does help increase the efficiency of serving — like answering frequently asked questions, providing the correct information, and being available 24*7." } }] }

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Business Aviation

Travel Testing May Be Ending, But Airline Health Safety Measures Are Here To Stay

Article | January 28, 2022

Every month OAG updates its year-to-date Punctuality League table to provide an ongoing ranking of the world’s largest airlines and airports alongside its Monthly on-time performance (OTP) data. The list is based on the twenty largest airlines (by number of flights operated) known as Mega Airlines, and we provide a Top 10 ranking. With November Monthly OTPs now in, we have 11 months of data to take an early look at how these Mega Airlines have performed to date. And whilst we have another month of data go, it is great to share some early insights before we release final numbers early next year.All the Top 10 airlines in our sneak preview currently come in with an OTP of over 85%. When compared to 2019, the last year of ‘normal’ flying, the Top 10 Mega airlines achieved OTP of between 75% and 86%, so this is a clear indication of just how much punctuality has improved over the past year.

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Business Aviation

Airline Marketing: Evolving Through COVID-19 Impact & Rebuilding Future

Article | August 31, 2021

The unprecedented wave of Covid 19 created significant turbulence in the aviation industry that made the industry face daunting new challenges. However, as airlines continue to respond to the challenges, the marketers remain focused on paving the way for quick recovery. Whereas, aviation experts admitted that this black swan event impacted the airline industry roughly. The impact of COVID-19 on airlines was forced to face bankruptcy, destruction of financial packages, and complete changes in the airline industry in terms of security. Therefore, while keeping the fact that COVID-19 will have longer-term repercussions, it’s imperative the airline industry would quickly reduce the impact on its stakeholders and operations. And for this, airlines need to go beyond conventional thinking and come forward in using technology to dig in for the long haul. Airline Industry: Riddled with Challenges Amid COVID-19 Given the airline market behavior during the Covid-19 crisis, it has many opportunities to target different marketing segments through direct and indirect channels. However, some complexities that challenged building an effective marketing strategy were: Drop-in Revenues According to KPMG, commercial revenue has been a rich source of income in airline businesses; it contributed more than 50% of inclusive revenues in the airline industry. However, a large share of revenue is generated by marketing which has completely dried up with minimum footfalls. Reduced economic growth, absence of remote work arrangements, and loss of operational models have been some of the fallen parts of the airline industry to deal with this new reality. IATA, at first, stated that airline revenues could fall by $314 billion in 2020 owing to COVID-19, which is a fall of 55% compared to 2019. However, further analysis revealed that it fell $419 billion more in the same year. Also, the second quarter of 2020 saw a nearby decline to $43.5 billion in revenues compared to the projected baseline, a reduction of more than 1%. Impact on Future Investments The impact of COVID-19 on airlines was much on the plan for future investments and asset building. These areas posed significant challenges for airline businesses and investors to monetize assets or repurpose them to create shareholder value. In other ways, competition from newer asset-light businesses also posed an additional challenge on asset building and profitability. How has Airline Industry Retorted to the Pandemic? Most businesses have reduced all new investments, freezing shares, maintenance, and partnership costs. These have been the extreme response expected in the war—COVID-19, which is even gimmer than war. But, despite all the impact of COVID-19 on airlines, airlines have responded with alacrity. The crisis made them stand by quickly developing new business processes and operations, research models. In a longer time, changes in the airline industry weren’t so significant. Airlines are also witnessing a radical shift in their development priorities and unique opportunities to conduct research. The desire to provide additional pressure on revenue management systems to predict demand more accurately has also been the core force of development. Let’s understand more under the following points: Technology Makeover In a progressively evolving digital-only landscape, the technology carries more value if used well. Investing in the right tools and technology can help monetize assets better and significantly improve operating efficiency and customer experience. Refocus on Cost-line Innovations in marketing strategies, technology can suggestively change the cost of providing services for both airlines and airports. It can help give more pressure on both affordability and profitability. This area of transformation can stimulate significant savings in operating costs and could become the norm for the best performance of marketing. Innovate COVID-19 has spawned the best inventions and innovations. The value of data and technology that you have access to today cannot be overstated. Yet, the aviation industry has shown the resilience to come back stronger and smarter. Therefore, there is a necessity for a thoughtful, analytical, and consistent approach to reforms to help the industry function at a newer and higher altitude and redefine its new normal. The changing geopolitical marketing scenario and impending operational shifts globally demand a swift and nimble approach. Advantageous changes in airline industrial policy in COVID-19 will be required to feat the opportunity, with accrete marketing strategic gains and create a better future. In a nutshell, airlines had to reinvent how they looked at bookings, employee management, and revenue management, as the previous curves were no longer relevant, and the training data used for machine learning algorithms were no longer valid. Now, airline businesses are exploring novel ways to shorten the old methods used in forecasting, pick up on trends more quickly, and incorporate demand adjustments made by manual revenue management users. Finally, the writing is evident on the wall—as airline stocks continue to falter (by 16 to 20%), the industry needs to go beyond conventional thinking and use technology to dig in for the long haul. Airline Marketing: Path to Recovery with 3 Important Tech-Strategies Inclusion of Advanced Analytics In the next five years, airline businesses will proceed to develop their ability to install advanced analytics. Although the industry has been using advanced data and analytics, there are expectations that marketing leaders will expand the entire value chain of analytics more progressively. Data-backed analytics will render insights to pinpoint geo-specific interventions for maximum ROI. While traditional sources of competitive advantage for airlines such as products, networks, technology will continue to gain importance, it is believed that increased usage of data science and advanced analytics will help the industry to augment these sources to deliver notable performance improvement. Rapid Adoption of Data Science The aviation industry is part of the change, too, in terms of technology development. Airline Technologies in Covid is radically varying the way businesses connect with their customers. The data required is allowing businesses to take informed steps towards operational efficiency. While embracing new technologies, changes in the airline industry are witnessing the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) to the maximum so that businesses can operate in the post-COVID-19 scenario. Control of Digital Solutions As airline market behavior during the Covid-19 crisis has incurred changes in the airline industry, the control of digital solutions has come to the rescue. The solutions are in need to shift resources and efficiently scale to maintain operations. Digital tools can help with a wide range of business efficiency, sales and revenue management, marketing, and network planning. Opportunities to Reimagine in Post COVID-19 Era Here are the significant ways in which it could be done. Operating Model Airlines today need a data-driven operating model with a mindset that pushes accountability across each touchpoint in the business journey. Marketing teams should be organized around journey stages keeping technological aspects on board. The operating model should be accompanied by KPIs that should be measured across the customer journey and regularly shared with every team member. Digital Transformation The airline industry could consider stepping up IT, digital, and automation investment now. The crucial strategies for digital transformation are driving data-driven platforms and personalization. Tracking business interaction at every touchpoint with the brands and their products enables better predictive analytics. This means integrating digital solutions with enterprise systems and making the data available at the point-of-sale for sales associates to view, interpret and recommend products accordingly will enhance the convenience of operations. In the case of point, airlines businesses can respond to the faster recovery of short-haul flights by investing in direct sales, owning the customer relationship. Also, relationships with IT and its providers could be re-considered and explore from a technologically perspective. Beyond this, other initiatives which involve efforts like using data in smarter ways to enhance decision making, requiring some investment to yield significant payoffs, are in the line of digital investments. Virtual Reality Gone are the days with COVID-19, when customers were physically involved in the airline business and running it successfully. Unfortunately, the panic of the pandemic is here to stay as a part of our life. So, companies will need to think out of the box. Several tools are available in the market today to avoid physical interactions. Brands have introduced their own ‘Virtual test and try’ tools for marketing and sales purposes. For instance, Guerlain invested in gamification and launched a mobile game called ‘WeChat’ to promote its sales deck. Similarly, to enhance the operational desk, Lancôme introduced ‘Virtual Mirror’ - an augmented reality virtual makeover app.12 ‘Modiface’- a Canadian AR and AI company, was purchased. Its product performs virtual try-on simulations and is enabled to support live video for all airline operations. So, the crisis and issues the airline industry facing in the Covid‑19 on revenue generation will still be intensely felt in 2021-2022, as it was earlier. But it is expected that the coming quarter of 2021 will show improvements compared to the previous. This means the industry, which was moving from a decline of 7% in the first quarter of 2021, will see a decline of 35.2% in the fourth quarter compared to the projected baseline. How to Plan a Marketing Strategy for your Airline Company? Being in the market already, you can understand where the roots of a marketing campaign come from. Nearly all the airline businesses arise their marketing activities from their vital target group or according to the demand to promote a new product. There is no solitary way to create a marketing campaign because it involves many company-specific details. Here, you will need to understand how you can stay ahead of your competitors in the marketing field to yield revenue. Here is a brief sum-up of some valuable points that can help you. Stick with your Customer Segment: Business or corporate travelers differ in their travel behavior and priorities. So, while you run a marketing campaign, it should highlight this factor as a prime concern. Focus on the Product you will Market: This point covers that you need to consider that all the product dimensions (digital, physical, service) to market should consider on parameters like how do you want it to market, what are your secondary aims, and how can you benefit from customer actions. Foster Interaction: So, try to keep as much interaction with your customers as possible. It does help to build loyalty, establish relations with your brand, and source valuable data about your customers. By doing this, you will be able to create a personalized experience for them in the future. Be loyal: As long as you are not an ultra-low-cost airline operator, you will perhaps have to reward the loyalty your frequent customers give you. Special offers, discounts, and loyalty programs make your brand a company to stick with forever. Keep an Eye on Competitors: As the airline market has high competition and competitors, your team creating a marketing strategy must include two key elements: your market position and your competitors. And the last, you must maintain a balance between competition and customer loyalty at any cost. Frequently Asked Questions What are the top three issues the airline industry is facing in the Covid‑19? Although the airline industry faced several challenges, the worse challenges were: Sluggishness in travel/travel bans Loss of revenue Data loss Which airlines have been most affected by coronavirus? The list of airlines worst affected by covid-19 goes as: China Southern Hainan Airlines Singapore airlines Japan airlines Korean Air & Asiana Middle Asia British Airways United Airlines What is the future of the aviation industry after covid-19? From the perspective of the COVID-19 scenario, the aviation industry needs to pick itself up and begin rebuilding. From hygiene and health standards to aircraft data management to monitor an aircraft’s components and onboard equipment can transform airline operations. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the top three issues the airline industry is facing in the Covid 19?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Although the airline industry faced several challenges, the worse challenges were: Sluggishness in travel/travel bans Loss of revenue Data loss" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "Which airlines have been most affected by coronavirus?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The list of airlines worst affected by covid-19 goes as: China Southern Hainan Airlines Singapore airlines Japan airlines Korean Air & Asiana Middle Asia British Airways United Airlines" } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the future of the aviation industry after covid-19?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "From the perspective of the COVID-19 scenario, the aviation industry needs to pick itself up and begin rebuilding. From hygiene and health standards to aircraft data management to monitor an aircraft’s components and onboard equipment can transform airline operations." } }] }

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CDPQ and SMBC Aviation Capital partner to create USD 1.5 B aircraft financing platform

PR Newswire | January 30, 2024

CDPQ, a global investment group, and SMBC Aviation Capital, the world's second largest aircraft leasing company, announced today that they have finalized an agreement to create a USD 1.5-billion global aircraft financing and leasing platform dedicated to modern, fuel-efficient NextGen aircraft. This new platform will focus on worldwide opportunities in new technology aircraft and target an initial deployment of USD 500 million per year, over three years. SMBC Aviation Capital will source transactions and, under a sistership condition, invest in opportunities alongside the platform. SMBC Aviation Capital will also act as servicer of the platform, which will operate under the banner Maple Aircraft Company Holdings Limited. "Building on CDPQ's experience in the aircraft financing industry, through this new platform, we will continue to provide flexible financing solutions for airlines to meet their future fleet requirements," said Marc Cormier, Executive Vice-President and Head of Fixed Income at CDPQ. "We're delighted to partner with SMBC Aviation Capital, an industry leader with a successful track record, who has demonstrated their commitment to sustainable aviation, to find the best opportunities in the commercial aircraft industry and to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term." "We are pleased to partner with CDPQ on this new platform to benefit our airline customers worldwide," said Peter Barrett, Chief Executive Officer at SMBC Aviation Capital. "CDPQ is an experienced, well respected, global investment group, which is aligned with our own views on capital allocation and a sustainable aviation industry. We look forward to working with our new partners over the coming years on this collaboration."

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Commercial Aviation, Cargo Management

B&H Worldwide Secures Vital Logistics Contract with Flair Airlines

EIN Presswire | January 29, 2024

B&H Worldwide, a global leader in aerospace and aviation logistics, is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of a new contract with Flair Airlines, a leading Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. Flair Airlines, known for its scheduled passenger and chartered services with a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, has selected B&H Worldwide as its trusted logistics partner. Under this agreement, B&H Worldwide will provide critical support to Flair Airlines, including Aircraft on Ground (AOG) assistance, Import/Export Clearance, and deliveries. The scope of the partnership extends to cover key regions, with a focus on Canada, the USA, and Australia. Gary Wilson, Group Managing Director of B&H Worldwide, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "We are honoured to have been chosen by Flair Airlines to provide logistics services. This partnership signifies our commitment to delivering high-quality solutions to the aerospace industry. B&H Worldwide is poised to support Flair Airlines' operations seamlessly and contribute to their success." To ensure a smooth and efficient import/export process, B&H Worldwide has developed a customized Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This SOP not only facilitates a streamlined logistics process but also outlines key contacts and support points tailored to Flair Airlines' specific needs. Furthermore, it establishes service standards that align with the airline's shipment requirements. Gary Wilson added, "Our bespoke service is a testament to our dedication to meeting the unique demands of Flair Airlines. We are committed to providing not only exceptional logistics services but also a partnership built on trust and collaboration." B&H Worldwide will leverage their philosophy of custom processes to support Flair Airlines in their logistics operations, working closely with their supply chain team. The first successful logistics project, a COMAT shipment, included a total of 17 pallets containing aviation parts (non-Dangerous Goods), 737 main wheels, 737 nose wheels, 737 brake in a clamshell, and Inflight training equipment. In a notable milestone, Flair Airlines loaded their own Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft with materials destined for Australia. The 737-800 MAX aircraft departed from Calgary, Canada, and successfully landed in Coolangatta, Australia. B&H Worldwide played a crucial role in facilitating the clearance process in Australia. Vladan Nikolic, Director of Material Supply Chain for Flair Airlines, expressed his satisfaction with B&H Worldwide's performance, stating, "The B&H Australian team's professionalism and responsiveness during the first logistics project was impressive. We have full confidence in their capabilities, and I look forward to continued collaboration at this high service level." B&H Worldwide remains committed to delivering top-tier logistics solutions, and the partnership with Flair Airlines further solidifies the company's position as a trusted leader in aerospace and aviation logistics.

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Aerospace, Aviation Technology, Airport Management

Avelo Airlines' First International Service Takes Flight From Lansing Through Apple Vacations Partnership

PR Newswire | January 27, 2024

Avelo Airlines' first international service takes flight this weekend from Lansing's Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in partnership with Apple Vacations. The partnership's new scheduled public charter service will serve three international destinations from LAN. Avelo and Apple Vacations offer nonstop flights and vacation packages between LAN and three tropical international destinations: Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic beginning tomorrow, Jan. 27 through April 3, 2024. Booking information and specific flight dates and times can be found at AppleVacations.com. Beginning Jan. 27: Lansing to Cancun International Airport (CUN) – three times weekly on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays Beginning Feb. 2: Lansing to Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport (MBJ) – one time weekly on Fridays Beginning Jan. 28: Lansing to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) – two times weekly on Sundays and Thursdays Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said, "These three tropical destinations Avelo will operate for Apple Vacations from Lansing are the perfect debut of Avelo's international service. We look forward to offering the same reliable and friendly experience to Apple Vacations' Customers that we've been providing Avelo's Capital Region Customers since we took flight at LAN 15 months ago. Apple Vacations' selection of Avelo to operate their flights to these three popular destinations is a testament to positive reputation we've built in Michigan and across the country." Additionally, Avelo offers twice-weekly scheduled service between LAN and Orlando International Airport (MCO). Avelo is the only airline offering nonstop service between LAN and MCO. Nonstop service to Orlando can be booked at AveloAir.com. Since Avelo began service at LAN on October 26, 2022, the airline has flown over 30,000 Customers on nearly 300 flights. Avelo also leads LAN in reliability with a 100% completion factor, meaning there have been no Avelo cancellations at LAN since the airline inaugurated served there 15 months ago. Capital Region Airport Authority President and CEO Nicole Noll-Williams said, "We are thrilled that Apple Vacations is back at LAN for our 2024 international season. And we couldn't be more excited that Apple selected Avelo Airlines to operate these flights with their exceptional track record for reliable and friendly service. These nonstop flights to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica for 2024 are another reminder that LAN is a gateway to popular vacation destinations around the world – and it's not too late to book your trip!" America's Most Convenient Airline Avelo was founded to Inspire Travel by saving its Customers time and money. Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown 4.2 million Customers on over 30,000 flights. Today, Avelo serves 43 destinations in 23 states and Puerto Rico. Along the way, Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. Every Avelo flight is nonstop, and at least one airport on every Avelo flight is a small, easy to use airport – making every Avelo journey easier and more enjoyable. Avelo is distinguished by its reliability. In 2023, Avelo achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate and the second-best on-time performance in the U.S. airline industry. Avelo Customers can always change or cancel their itineraries with no extra fees. Additionally, families can travel with ease knowing every child 13 and under will always be automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no additional cost. Additionally, Avelo offers advanced seat assignments for sale. One third of its seats are extra leg room seats, ranging from 32 inches to more than 36 inches, offering a more comfortable experience for Customers who value more space. In addition to advance seat assignments, Avelo offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give Customers the flexibility to pay only for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin.

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Business Aviation, Commercial Aviation, Aviation Technology

CDPQ and SMBC Aviation Capital partner to create USD 1.5 B aircraft financing platform

PR Newswire | January 30, 2024

CDPQ, a global investment group, and SMBC Aviation Capital, the world's second largest aircraft leasing company, announced today that they have finalized an agreement to create a USD 1.5-billion global aircraft financing and leasing platform dedicated to modern, fuel-efficient NextGen aircraft. This new platform will focus on worldwide opportunities in new technology aircraft and target an initial deployment of USD 500 million per year, over three years. SMBC Aviation Capital will source transactions and, under a sistership condition, invest in opportunities alongside the platform. SMBC Aviation Capital will also act as servicer of the platform, which will operate under the banner Maple Aircraft Company Holdings Limited. "Building on CDPQ's experience in the aircraft financing industry, through this new platform, we will continue to provide flexible financing solutions for airlines to meet their future fleet requirements," said Marc Cormier, Executive Vice-President and Head of Fixed Income at CDPQ. "We're delighted to partner with SMBC Aviation Capital, an industry leader with a successful track record, who has demonstrated their commitment to sustainable aviation, to find the best opportunities in the commercial aircraft industry and to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term." "We are pleased to partner with CDPQ on this new platform to benefit our airline customers worldwide," said Peter Barrett, Chief Executive Officer at SMBC Aviation Capital. "CDPQ is an experienced, well respected, global investment group, which is aligned with our own views on capital allocation and a sustainable aviation industry. We look forward to working with our new partners over the coming years on this collaboration."

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Commercial Aviation, Cargo Management

B&H Worldwide Secures Vital Logistics Contract with Flair Airlines

EIN Presswire | January 29, 2024

B&H Worldwide, a global leader in aerospace and aviation logistics, is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of a new contract with Flair Airlines, a leading Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. Flair Airlines, known for its scheduled passenger and chartered services with a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, has selected B&H Worldwide as its trusted logistics partner. Under this agreement, B&H Worldwide will provide critical support to Flair Airlines, including Aircraft on Ground (AOG) assistance, Import/Export Clearance, and deliveries. The scope of the partnership extends to cover key regions, with a focus on Canada, the USA, and Australia. Gary Wilson, Group Managing Director of B&H Worldwide, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "We are honoured to have been chosen by Flair Airlines to provide logistics services. This partnership signifies our commitment to delivering high-quality solutions to the aerospace industry. B&H Worldwide is poised to support Flair Airlines' operations seamlessly and contribute to their success." To ensure a smooth and efficient import/export process, B&H Worldwide has developed a customized Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This SOP not only facilitates a streamlined logistics process but also outlines key contacts and support points tailored to Flair Airlines' specific needs. Furthermore, it establishes service standards that align with the airline's shipment requirements. Gary Wilson added, "Our bespoke service is a testament to our dedication to meeting the unique demands of Flair Airlines. We are committed to providing not only exceptional logistics services but also a partnership built on trust and collaboration." B&H Worldwide will leverage their philosophy of custom processes to support Flair Airlines in their logistics operations, working closely with their supply chain team. The first successful logistics project, a COMAT shipment, included a total of 17 pallets containing aviation parts (non-Dangerous Goods), 737 main wheels, 737 nose wheels, 737 brake in a clamshell, and Inflight training equipment. In a notable milestone, Flair Airlines loaded their own Boeing 737-800 MAX aircraft with materials destined for Australia. The 737-800 MAX aircraft departed from Calgary, Canada, and successfully landed in Coolangatta, Australia. B&H Worldwide played a crucial role in facilitating the clearance process in Australia. Vladan Nikolic, Director of Material Supply Chain for Flair Airlines, expressed his satisfaction with B&H Worldwide's performance, stating, "The B&H Australian team's professionalism and responsiveness during the first logistics project was impressive. We have full confidence in their capabilities, and I look forward to continued collaboration at this high service level." B&H Worldwide remains committed to delivering top-tier logistics solutions, and the partnership with Flair Airlines further solidifies the company's position as a trusted leader in aerospace and aviation logistics.

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Aerospace, Aviation Technology, Airport Management

Avelo Airlines' First International Service Takes Flight From Lansing Through Apple Vacations Partnership

PR Newswire | January 27, 2024

Avelo Airlines' first international service takes flight this weekend from Lansing's Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in partnership with Apple Vacations. The partnership's new scheduled public charter service will serve three international destinations from LAN. Avelo and Apple Vacations offer nonstop flights and vacation packages between LAN and three tropical international destinations: Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic beginning tomorrow, Jan. 27 through April 3, 2024. Booking information and specific flight dates and times can be found at AppleVacations.com. Beginning Jan. 27: Lansing to Cancun International Airport (CUN) – three times weekly on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays Beginning Feb. 2: Lansing to Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport (MBJ) – one time weekly on Fridays Beginning Jan. 28: Lansing to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) – two times weekly on Sundays and Thursdays Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said, "These three tropical destinations Avelo will operate for Apple Vacations from Lansing are the perfect debut of Avelo's international service. We look forward to offering the same reliable and friendly experience to Apple Vacations' Customers that we've been providing Avelo's Capital Region Customers since we took flight at LAN 15 months ago. Apple Vacations' selection of Avelo to operate their flights to these three popular destinations is a testament to positive reputation we've built in Michigan and across the country." Additionally, Avelo offers twice-weekly scheduled service between LAN and Orlando International Airport (MCO). Avelo is the only airline offering nonstop service between LAN and MCO. Nonstop service to Orlando can be booked at AveloAir.com. Since Avelo began service at LAN on October 26, 2022, the airline has flown over 30,000 Customers on nearly 300 flights. Avelo also leads LAN in reliability with a 100% completion factor, meaning there have been no Avelo cancellations at LAN since the airline inaugurated served there 15 months ago. Capital Region Airport Authority President and CEO Nicole Noll-Williams said, "We are thrilled that Apple Vacations is back at LAN for our 2024 international season. And we couldn't be more excited that Apple selected Avelo Airlines to operate these flights with their exceptional track record for reliable and friendly service. These nonstop flights to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica for 2024 are another reminder that LAN is a gateway to popular vacation destinations around the world – and it's not too late to book your trip!" America's Most Convenient Airline Avelo was founded to Inspire Travel by saving its Customers time and money. Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown 4.2 million Customers on over 30,000 flights. Today, Avelo serves 43 destinations in 23 states and Puerto Rico. Along the way, Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. Every Avelo flight is nonstop, and at least one airport on every Avelo flight is a small, easy to use airport – making every Avelo journey easier and more enjoyable. Avelo is distinguished by its reliability. In 2023, Avelo achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate and the second-best on-time performance in the U.S. airline industry. Avelo Customers can always change or cancel their itineraries with no extra fees. Additionally, families can travel with ease knowing every child 13 and under will always be automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no additional cost. Additionally, Avelo offers advanced seat assignments for sale. One third of its seats are extra leg room seats, ranging from 32 inches to more than 36 inches, offering a more comfortable experience for Customers who value more space. In addition to advance seat assignments, Avelo offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give Customers the flexibility to pay only for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin.

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Events