Latest news with #IAG
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
How IAG's Home-Grown AI Could Save Airlines Millions
AI and technology enhancing aircraft maintenance In an industry where operational efficiency is measured in minutes and margins, the potential of artificial intelligence to streamline airline maintenance logistics is more than an optimization exercise, it's a necessity. That's why the International Airlines Group (IAG) developed its new AI-powered Engine Optimisation System. Designed in-house and now implemented with Aer Lingus, the system is poised to roll out across IAG's other airlines British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, and LEVEL by year's end. Turning a Complex Problem into an AI Challenge The system, built within IAG's London and Barcelona-based AI Labs, is engineered to solve a particularly complex problem: how to schedule engine maintenance in a way that simultaneously satisfies regulatory mandates, part availability, labor constraints, and operational continuity. Every commercial jet engine must meet strict regulatory intervals while also fitting around flight schedules, parts inventory and shop capacity. Planners juggle thousands of variables, yet one late part or an unexpected route change can unwind months of work. By running millions of 'what-if' scenarios every day, IAG's new system re-plans in minutes instead of weeks, helping the airline avoid Aircraft On Ground emergencies serious enough to ground the airplane until it's fixed and maintenance-related passenger delays. The system is designed to update maintenance schedules dynamically, adapting in real time as new data flows in. 'By applying advanced algorithms, we're making our engine maintenance programme more efficient. We are avoiding unnecessary maintenance delays to ensure that our fleet is available and in service,' explains Ben Dias, IAG's chief AI scientist. 'The system gives our people the data and tools they need for smarter planning and better teamwork.' An In-House Approach to AI System Development Many organizations license predictive-maintenance dashboards from OEMs or software vendors. IAG chose a different path: keep the data, keep the code and tune the algorithms to its own mixed fleet. Dias' team started with the workhorse CFM56 engine, a common type in narrow-body aircraft, to prove the concept before moving to other engine families. Owning the intellectual property matters for two reasons. First, IAG can refine the model as its network, fleet mix and shop capacity change. Second, the group avoids vendor lock-in, critical when an engine swap between BA and Iberia can hinge on data portability. AI Making an Increasing Impact in the Airline Industry IAG's efforts align with similar changes happening in aviation. Lufthansa Technik uses its Aviatar platform for predictive diagnostics that spots repetitive fault codes and suggests fixes, part of a suite used by 100-plus airlines. Delta Air Lines' APEX engine-health system crunches real-time sensor data; the carrier claims parts-demand accuracy has jumped from 60% to 90%. Air France-KLM is working with Google Cloud to layer generative-AI tools onto its existing 'Prognos' analytics stack for both maintenance and network planning. Where IAG differs is its focus on prescriptive optimization. The model does not simply predict when an engine might need service, it chooses the slot that minimises ground time across a 700-aircraft portfolio. Taking a broader look, the financial upside becomes clear. With the industry set to spend over $100 billion annually on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) by 2030 according to Strategic Market Research's Aircraft MRO Market Size & Forecast report, even single-digit gains have massive implications. McKinsey estimates AI-driven maintenance could cut costs by 20% and eliminate up to half of unscheduled repairs. There's also a sustainability edge. By reducing last-minute swaps and repositioning flights, the system can lower emissions, helping airlines meet environmental targets while saving money. A smoother shop schedule reduces repositioning flights and last-minute charters, lowering fuel burn and CO₂. Obstacles on the AI Taxiway Still, there are bumps ahead. AI relies on clean, consistent data, and aviation data can be messy. Airlines still wrestle with inconsistent logbook entries, paper-based records and parts tagged under multiple naming conventions. IAG spent months cleaning historical files and standardizing schemas before training the model. Integrating these systems with existing workflows, especially under strict safety regulations, adds another layer of complexity. Change management is equally tough. Engineers used to white-board plans may bristle at a probabilistic recommendation engine. That is why the system presents its schedule, along with the factors that drove each choice, for human sign-off. Trust builds when planners can challenge the AI, tweak a variable and watch the plan update in seconds. Getting the data right, and earning trust from frontline teams, will be key to long-term success. Where the Airline Industry Is Heading AI developments in the industry could push things even further. Technicians could share anonymized model insights across member airlines in a federated-learning loop. This would allow datasets from different airlines and locations to improve each other without exposing commercially sensitive details. Longer term, this could feed the optimization layer with live flight-ops and crew-roster data so that disruption management and maintenance planning draw from a single source of truth. If that sounds ambitious, keep in mind that pilots once lugged over 30 pounds of binders to the cockpit in large black roll-aboard suitcases. The electronic flight bag (EFB), a tablet-class device that stores charts, manuals and performance calculators in digital form, changed that. Today they are table stakes. A decade from now, an AI-based scheduler that treats engines, slots and spares as a living puzzle may feel just as ordinary, and IAG will have gained a multi-year head start.
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Airlines suspend Middle East flights
LONDON: Many airline services remain disrupted in the Middle East arising from the 12-day air war between Iran and Israel that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire that took hold on Tuesday. Air space closures and safety concerns continue to weigh on airline traffic in the region. Below are some of the airlines that have cancelled their flights to and from the region: AEGEAN AIRLINES The Greek airline will proceed with flight cancellations from and to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil up to and including the early morning flight on Sept 8. AIRBALTIC Latvia's airBaltic said that all flights to and from Tel Aviv until Sept 30 had been cancelled. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier is suspending its flights from Toronto to Dubai until Aug 4. It had previously postponed resumption of service between Canada and Israel to Sept 8. AIR EUROPA The Spanish airline said that it has cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv until July 31. AIR FRANCE-KLM The French flag carrier plans to resume its connections between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Tel Aviv, starting from July 7. It plans to resume its flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut starting on June 28. KLM said that it had cancelled all its flights to and from Tel Aviv until at least July 31. AIR INDIA The Indian airline will "progressively" resume flights to the Middle East starting June 24 and will resume flights to and from the east coast of the US and Canada "at the earliest opportunity," it said. Flights to and from Europe will also be reinstated from June 24. ARKIA The Israeli airline said all its flights to and from Israel are cancelled until June 30, except to New York. Flights to Eilat are cancelled until June 28. DELTA AIR LINES The US carrier said that travel to, from, or through Tel Aviv may be impacted between June 12 and August 31. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES As of June 24, the Israeli airline began increasing flights and adding frequencies from key destinations. Starting next week, it added, flights will operate as scheduled, except for a few cancelled flights. ETIHAD AIRWAYS Etihad said that it had cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until July 15. EMIRATES Emirates said that it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Iran and Iraq until and including June 30. FINNAIR The Finnish airline cancelled its flights to and from Doha through June 30, as well as flight AY1982 on July 1. Finnair added that it was not flying through the airspace of Iraq, Iran, Syria, or Israel. FLYDUBAI The UAE airline said it was planning to resume its full schedule across the network from July 1. It will resume operations to Damascus and Tel Aviv on June 26. IAG IAG-owned British Airways said that its flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended until July 31 and flights to Amman and Bahrain are suspended up to and including June 30. The airline also suspended flights to and from Doha up to and including June 25. IAG's low-cost airline, Iberia Express, had previously said that it had cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv until June 30. Iberia will resume its flights to Doha on June 27. ITA AIRWAYS The Italian Airline said that it would extend the suspension of Tel Aviv flights until July 31, including two flights scheduled on Aug 1. JAPAN AIRLINES The Japanese carrier cancelled its flights to Doha until July 2. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa said that it had suspended all flights to and from Beirut until and including June 30 and to and from Tel Aviv and Tehran until and including July 31. Flights to and from Amman and Erbil are cancelled until and including July 11. The German airline added that it would also refrain from using airspace of the countries concerned until further notice. PEGASUS The Turkish airline said that it had cancelled flights to Iran until July 7 and flights to Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan until July 4. QATAR AIRWAYS Qatar Airways said that it had temporarily cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Syria. RYANAIR Ryanair said that it had cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and to and from Amman until Oct 25. TAROM Romania's flag carrier said that flights to Tel Aviv will resume starting on June 26 and added that flights to Beirut will restart on the night of June 27-28. TUS AIRWAYS The Cypriot airline said it has resumed operations to and from Israel. UNITED AIRLINES The US carrier said that travel to and from Tel Aviv may be affected between June 13 and Aug 1. Flights to Dubai between June 18 and July 3 may also be affected. WIZZ AIR Wizz Air said it had suspended its operations to and from Tel Aviv and Amman until September 15 and was cancelling flights to and from the United Arab Emirates until June 30. The Hungarian airline will also avoid overflying Israeli, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian airspace until further notice. - REUTERS
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
UK shares rise on Israel-Iran ceasefire relief
London stocks climbed on Tuesday in broad-based gains after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect, ending a 12-day conflict that temporarily spiked oil prices and dampened investor risk sentiment. The internationally focussed FTSE 100 rose 0.4% by 1000 GMT, while the domestically focussed FTSE 250 midcap index gained 0.9% to touch a more than one-week high. Travel and leisure stocks led sectoral gains, boosted by airline stocks, as oil prices dropped to their lowest in two weeks. British airways owner IAG and Easyjet surged more than 5%, while midcap constituents Wizz Air and Jet2 added 3.1% and 3.2%, respectively. Cruise operator Carnival rose 5.6% to the top of the mid-cap index. Hotel chain operators Intercontinental Hotels and Whitbread gained about 2% each. However, the truce, announced hours earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump, remained shaky with the Israeli Defence Minister saying he had ordered new strikes in response to Iran's ceasefire violation. Tehran declined the charge. Crude prices fell on the ceasefire news and weighed on energy giants BP and Shell, which dropped 4.2% and 2.6%, respectively. Precious metals miners also declined 2.2% tracking a slide in prices of gold, which is often seen as a safe-haven asset. In company news, AstraZeneca's treatment for lung cancer Datroway with its partner Daiichi Sankyo was approved in the U.S., sending shares of the drugmaker as much as 1.4% in early trading. On the data front, a private survey showed that grocery price inflation had risen to its highest level since March, while a separate report indicated manufacturers this month reported the sharpest contraction in orders. Later in the day, investors will closely assess Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and chief economist Huw Pill's remarks for clues on rate cuts. Markets are pricing in the likelihood that the central bank will lower borrowing costs by about 50 basis points by year-end. In other news, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to boost defence and security spending to 5% of economic output by 2035 in accordance with a NATO members agreement at The Hague. The aerospace and defense index was marginally higher and has gained 55.5% so far this year, making it among the top performing FTSE sectors this year. (Reporting by Twesha Dikshit; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trending tickers: Tesla, IAG, FedEx, Bunzl
Electric vehicle maker Tesla's (TSLA) stock rallied more than 8.2% in Monday's session, and looked set for further gains on Tuesday, as investors watch both analyst ratings for the company and its robotaxi rollout. Its self-driving cars hit the roads of Austin, Texas on Sunday, in the company's first big push to show how it might conquer the autonomous driving market. The small trial saw 20 Tesla (TSLA) Model Y's on the streets of Texas — some with humans sat in the passenger seat to monitor safety, according to reports. Elon Musk said in a post on X (formally Twitter) that the launch marked a "culmination of a decade of hard work", congratulating the company's AI and chip design teams. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives maintained his 'buy' rating for the stock, calling the launch the "golden era of autonomous" for Tesla (TSLA). His high price target is now $500. British Airways' owner IAG (IAG.L) saw its stock bounce back from the doldrums on Tuesday, having taken a hit following concerns about one of its key flight paths due to conflict in the Middle East. The carrier moved to cancel flights from Dubai and Doha earlier this week, citing concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. A ceasefire, announced overnight, assuaged investor concerns, however. Industry peers Lufthansa (LHAB.F) and Air France ( also rallied, recovering yesterday's losses. Airlines had maintained their gains by 9.30am in London, even as news of an early break in the ceasefire filtered through, with IAG (IAG.L) up around 6.5% — still one of the top gainers in the FTSE 100 (^FTSE). The ceasefire appears to be a moving target. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has ordered the country's military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran's violation of the agreement with Israel, according to a report in Reuters. Delivery giant FedEx (FDX) saw its stock tick up in premarket on Tuesday, ahead of its earnings report due later today. Its share price had rallied more than 2% in the previous session, a welcome respite for investors from selling so far this year, which has seen the stock drop more than 18%. Last quarter, the company exceeded analyst expectations on revenue by 0.9%. Its revenue hit $22.2bn, up 1.9% year-on-year. FedEx (FDX) has been beset by tariff uncertainties since president Donald Trump took office, as businesses pause imports and exports in favour of a wait and see approach to inventory with an ever-changing tax landscape. As the administration gradually clinches trade deals, the landscape for the courier is set to become less uncertain. The company is expected to report earnings of $5.94 per share on $21.7bn in revenues, representing year-over-year gains of 9.8% and -1.9%, respectively. Estimates for the period have steadily come down, with the current $5.94 per share estimate down from $5.98 a month ago and $6.32 three months ago. Retail supplies outsourcing company Bunzl (BNZL.L) saw its stock rally on Tuesday, off the back of acquisitions, despite the 'uncertain' economic backdrop. 'Rubber gloves, takeaway coffee cups, cling film; the products Bunzl (BNZL.L) supplies are the sort of things people take for granted. Its fortunes are closely tied to the global economy – if the world is ticking over then Bunzl will be busy but if there is economic weakness it will find life harder," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. Moves higher came as the FTSE 100 company announced its latest deal to buy Brazilian food packaging business Solupack. The proposed takeover, which generated £15m of revenues last year, will 'enhance our offering to customers', Bunzl (BNZL.L) said. Bosses at Bunzl (BNZL.L) said it is 'remaining active' regarding more potential acquisitions, following its third takeover deal this year. On Tuesday, Bunzl (BNZL.L) said revenue for the first half of 2025 is expected to be around 4% higher than the previous year, driven by acquisitions. It added that profit margins are set to be in line with previous guidance of 7%. 'Uncertain macroeconomic conditions mean that investors retain a sense of caution towards Bunzl (BNZL.L). The shares are only up because there is no further bad news following the recent profit warning, rather than the market becoming more optimistic," Mould added. Carnival (CCL) — quarterly results Blackberry ( — quarterly results SThree (S8T.F) — trading updateError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
UK shares rise on Israel-Iran ceasefire relief
June 24 (Reuters) - London stocks climbed on Tuesday in broad-based gains after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect, ending a 12-day conflict that temporarily spiked oil prices and dampened investor risk sentiment. The internationally focussed FTSE 100 (.FTSE), opens new tab rose 0.4% by 1000 GMT, while the domestically focussed FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC), opens new tab gained 0.9% to touch a more than one-week high. Travel and leisure (.FTNMX405010), opens new tab stocks led sectoral gains, boosted by airline stocks, as oil prices dropped to their lowest in two weeks. British airways owner IAG (ICAG.L), opens new tab and Easyjet (EZJ.L), opens new tab surged more than 5%, while midcap constituents Wizz Air (WIZZ.L), opens new tab and Jet2 (JET2.L), opens new tab added 3.1% and 3.2%, respectively. Cruise operator Carnival (CCL.L), opens new tab rose 5.6% to the top of the mid-cap index. Hotel chain operators Intercontinental Hotels (IHG.L), opens new tab and Whitbread (WTB.L), opens new tab gained about 2% each. However, the truce, announced hours earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump, remained shaky with the Israeli Defence Minister saying he had ordered new strikes in response to Iran's ceasefire violation. Tehran declined the charge. Crude prices fell on the ceasefire news and weighed on energy giants BP (BP.L), opens new tab and Shell (SHEL.L), opens new tab, which dropped 4.2% and 2.6%, respectively. Precious metals miners (.FTNMX551030), opens new tab also declined 2.2% tracking a slide in prices of gold, which is often seen as a safe-haven asset. In company news, AstraZeneca's (AZN.L), opens new tab treatment for lung cancer Datroway with its partner Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T), opens new tab was approved in the U.S., sending shares of the drugmaker as much as 1.4% in early trading. On the data front, a private survey showed that grocery price inflation had risen to its highest level since March, while a separate report indicated manufacturers this month reported the sharpest contraction in orders. Later in the day, investors will closely assess Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and chief economist Huw Pill's remarks for clues on rate cuts. Markets are pricing in the likelihood that the central bank will lower borrowing costs by about 50 basis points by year-end. In other news, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to boost defence and security spending to 5% of economic output by 2035 in accordance with a NATO members agreement at The Hague. The aerospace and defense index (.FTNMX502010), opens new tab was marginally higher and has gained 55.5% so far this year, making it among the top performing FTSE sectors this year.
