AI could help with pilot shortage, says Emirates COO

Alamy via Reuters

• Planes ‘might go to one pilot’
• Crew shortage threatens growth
• Tech promises ‘millions in savings’

Artificial intelligence could allow for planes to fly with just one pilot, an Emirates airline executive has said. This would also help ease the Middle East’s pilot shortage and change how the aviation industry operates.

Adel Ahmed Al Redha, chief operating officer of Emirates airline, told AGBI that aircraft operations “might go to maybe one pilot” as technology continues to advance.

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“In the past, we replaced flight engineers and flight navigators, and that’s where the thinking is now. We’re working to get something more accurate in analysing and monitoring the performance of aircraft.”

Analysts have warned that a pilot shortage threatens the growth of the region’s aviation industry, with global demand expected to outstrip supply by nearly 80,000 pilots by 2032, according to consultancy Oliver Wyman.

The Middle East alone could account for up to 18,000 of that deficit.

Advances in aviation technology already means tasks once managed manually, like monitoring fuel and plotting courses, are now handled by advanced GPS, autopilot and flight management systems.

Al Redha also expects AI to streamline other operations, from inventory management to customer service. He said AI’s data analysis and predictive capabilities could lead to significant cost savings and increased efficiency.

“For example, many companies suffer today by having to have an inventory [of spare parts],” he said.

“At Emirates, we have in engineering close to AED12 billion [$3.3 billion] of inventory. If I use AI to predict more accurately what we need in there, then you talk about millions in savings.”

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Despite these possibilities, Al Redha believes the potential applications of AI are still largely untapped.

“We are just scratching the surface of AI’s benefits,” he said.

“There is a huge opportunity to make companies more efficient, accurate and effective. AI can see, talk and even smell. We are not yet utilising its full potential.”

However, Al Redha warned against over-reliance on the technology without proper safeguards, stressing the importance of data protection, cybersecurity and ethical AI practices.

His comments come amid heightened concerns over cybersecurity, following a recent failure at CrowdStrike, which caused one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years.

The incident, triggered by an update to an antivirus program, exposed vulnerabilities across key industries including airlines and airports worldwide.

Aviation officials briefly grounded planes, while airlines resorted to handwritten boarding passes as some flights were cancelled or delayed.

“That’s where I think is the trap we could fall into,” Al Redha said.

“There’s a need for more investment in firewalls and cybersecurity protocols as we introduce more applications.”

Al Redha added: “I think we need to be mindful and not blind in applying AI.”