Startups want to help airlines prevent technological meltdown

The inefficiencies at Southwest and the FAA are weeks apart from weaknesses in systems slated for upgrades—the consultants said the urgent need to prioritize efforts to modernize the system and the consequences of waiting to do so. .

While embarking on a massive new information technology infrastructure may be unrealistic, the sector needs to integrate airline operations using cloud-based tools that drive real-time data, he said.

New, cloud-based infrastructures and databases can scale horizontally—meaning they can use distributed computing resources across the Internet as needed. This design allows information to flow freely, reducing the chance of defects leading to system shutdowns. Older, older systems are limited by the amount of computing power.

The FAA estimated the costs of U.S. flight delays reached $33 billion in 2019, the latest year for which data is available. According to market research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, digital solutions can cut the costs of non-routine operations by as much as half, making airline disruption management a growth opportunity for technology providers.

Santa Clara, California-based Couchbase Inc.,

Founded in 2011, United Airlines Holdings said it helped Inc.

Modernize the workforce by providing a cloud-based database for employee scheduling software.

United used mainframe computers and other database systems to process such things as reservations, pricing, baggage tracking and in-flight cargo, said Ravi Mayuram, Cookbase’s chief technology officer. Those mainframes weren’t exchanging data between them, or simply, “the left hand wasn’t talking to the right hand,” Mr. Mayuram said. United declined to comment on the operating technology.

Unlike previous systems, the new programs developed by United are based on Couchbase database technology, which can now be scaled up or down based on peak levels of use or demand, and are not limited to the geographic region where the mainframes are located, Mr. Mayuram said.

Airlines generate large amounts of data each year from their aircraft, passengers, suppliers and internal operations. According to Robert Beurlin, general counsel for Frost & Sullivan Aerospace, connecting data points from different systems will help airlines train artificial intelligence-powered systems and defenses.

Gurobi Optimization LLC, which develops accounting optimization software for industries including aviation, said it provides optimization technology to airlines such as Air France-KLM..

The Franco-Dutch carrier is using the software as a decision support tool, which recommends optimal flight and aircraft operations and takes into account factors such as fuel consumption and aircraft flight time, Gurobi said.

According to Dr. Edward Rothberg, Gurobi’s chief scientist, the optimization solution has been around for decades, but the company has used new mathematical techniques to spit out the results faster.

Barcelona-based startup Big Blue Analytics is similarly using techniques like linear programming to solve optimization problems like aircraft classification. The company also aims to create a comprehensive platform that provides all-in-one solutions for flight, aircraft, maintenance, crew and passenger itineraries, according to the company’s CEO, Pau Kolelmire.

The startup’s customers include Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea, which has a fleet of 41 planes, although Mr Collemir said the company is working to address operational challenges for larger carriers such as Southwest, which operates more than 700 planes. “The only way to solve the problem of increasing the number of airplanes is to start with a small airline,” he said.

Even when there are better technological solutions, it is difficult to implement them, industry consultants.

Ira Gershkoff, chief advisor to airline IT consultancy and research firm Travel, said: “The problem with the industry as a whole is that these systems are getting old and updating them is very painful both financially and time-wise. Technology Research Limited

For decades, the airline IT market has been dominated by a few large companies, including Amadeus IT Group. SA,

Saber Corporation

TravelSky Technology Ltd

German Lufthansa AG

and International Aeronautical Telecommunications Company, or SITA. In addition to startups like Boeing, aircraft and engine manufacturers Co.

Airbus SE,

Rolls Royce Holdings Pvt. and General Electric Co.

They are also developing their own portfolios of digital solutions.

“The backbone is the technology of the 1960s, which kind of supports and makes everything go, and so it can be difficult for newcomers to learn and understand, and in the same way, to adopt a new way of thinking,” said Sherry Stein. , head of technology in the US at Switzerland-based SITA.

Ms. Stein said the IT vendor — owned by airlines, airports and their suppliers — has now published some application programming interfaces, or APIs, in an effort to bring more developers into the community and promote openness in an industry that has historically been reluctant to share data with competitors. SITA said its APIs, which allow software programs to exchange data, have been used to create applications for airline data and airport operations such as gate changes and passenger flow.

“It’s part of our growth ethos,” Ms. Stein said. “I hope everyone follows suit.”

Write to Belle Lin at belle.lin@wsj.com