Alaska Airlines saved 480,000 gallons of fuel in six months by using artificial intelligence to help dispatchers make flight operations more reliable and sustainable by optimizing routes and improving the predictability and flow of airline traffic. Alternatively, that translates to 4,600 fewer tons of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
“Artificial intelligence and machine learning is among the top drivers of technology today and, for the first time, have been applied to the airline flight planning environment,” Pasha Saleh, Alaska Airlines' flight operations strategy and innovation chief, agreed.
Alaska Airlines saves money on fuel thanks to a software framework developed by a Silicon Valley company
For any airline, fuel is often a significant expense. In the first three months of 2021, Alaska Airlines spent US$203 million on diesel. Airlines buy their fuel ahead of time and use hedging to get the best deal. It's difficult to put a specific dollar figure on the 480,000 gallons saved after accounting for hedging and fluctuating fuel costs. However, in the first quarter of 2021, Alaska Airlines jets used 126 million gallons of gasoline. Using these estimates as a guide, Alaska Airlines saved about $300,000 in fuel costs in the last six months.
In this cash-strapped period, every dollar saved is crucial for an airline. Alaska Airlines, on the other hand, is emphasizing the AI trial's non-monetary advantages. Airspace Intelligence, a Silicon Valley-based startup, partnered with the airline. They develop software that supports traffic flow optimization at scale by using machine learning models of national airspace and prediction services.
In a statement, Phillip Buckendorf, CEO of Airspace Intelligence, said, "Our AI platform gives enhanced levels of predictive situational awareness, to augment the accuracy, speed, and precision of human decision-makers."
At Alaska Airlines, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Airspace Intelligence has a significant effect
Flyways are the name of the AI platform, and Alaska Airlines was the first airline to use it for such a long time. Dispatchers in Alaska used the app to schedule, track, and suggest rerouting flights to avoid issues like congested airspace and bad weather. For 64 percent of jet flights, Flyways discovered a way to save miles and fuel. The software's flight recommendations were not accepted by all dispatchers. Just 32% of recommendations were taken into account in their decision-making. However, Alaska Airlines benefited significantly from the 32 percent increase.
“Flyways AI has changed how Alaska Airlines approaches route planning and optimization, allowing our highly qualified dispatchers to work even smarter to deliver the safest and most reliable routes to our pilots, saving time and carbon emissions, reducing congestion, and providing a better experience for our guests,” said Diana Birkett Rakow of Alaska Airlines.
Alaska Airlines will continue to use Flyways, which is a big victory for Airspace Intelligence. It's a no-brainer for Alaska. The AI platform not only saves money on a daily basis, but it also makes flight planning and traffic flow management simpler.
It also has excellent environmental credentials. The airline has set a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, a goal that will be difficult to achieve solely through the use of alternative aviation fuels and innovative propulsion techniques. Instead, Alaska Airlines is implementing a slew of policies to help it meet its carbon reduction targets. The Flyways AI platform is one part of a much larger picture in this sense.
