We Ask Five Airline CEOs What They Really Think About AI

With a handful of notable exceptions, airline CEOs are a fairly measured bunch. So when you hear a chief executive predicting that “this will change everything,” it’s a good idea to pay attention. 

The topic causing a stir among aviation leaders is artificial intelligence. From low-cost airlines to five-star flag carriers, companies across the industry are making tentative steps toward an AI future.

To sort the high value from the hyperbole, Skift spoke with five CEOs to find out what the new technology is doing, and could soon be doing, for their businesses.

A win-win area for airlines in these relatively early AI days is waste reduction. Taking fewer items onboard might seem insignificant, but when multiplied across thousands of flights it can add up in a big way. It saves money and also benefits wider sustainability campaigns.

It's a perspective shared by Marjan Rintel, CEO of KLM who told Skift: “We already have a team working on AI and they’re using it to reduce waste and weight on board for catering. What’s particularly exciting is that we’re now entering phase two of the project. We are learning exactly how much we need to bring on board and using AI to find out which meals are the favorites. This allows us to adjust our ordering which is already reducing a lot of waste.”

If KLM’s crackdown on surplus spaghetti doesn’t get you excited, speak to Güliz Öztürk. She’s the CEO of Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus, and says the real-world applications of artificial