Video of the week: Aviation's digital inflection point – from AI hype to operational reality

The aviation sector is often described as being in the midst of a digital revolution, yet beneath the headlines lies a more complex reality. Artificial intelligence, cloud migration, biometrics and automation are reshaping operational possibilities, but their impact depends less on technology itself than on leadership, organisational capability and strategic clarity.

Recent deployments of generative AI in disruption management, biometric boarding at global hubs, and dynamic digital retailing platforms have demonstrated tangible gains. However, these successes coexist with persistent challenges: fragile legacy architectures, constrained capital, regulatory uncertainty and an acute shortage of digital talent.

This session from the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - World examined how airlines are navigating this tension between opportunity and constraint. It explores why many carriers struggle to define compelling business cases for AI, how fragmented data environments undermine ambition, and why technology adoption often stalls at the pilot stage.

It also considers the deeper organisational implications of digital transformation, including workforce reskilling, cultural change and the redefinition of airline operating models.

The discussion offers a grounded perspective on what meaningful digital progress looks like in practice. Rather than focusing on incremental efficiency gains, it addresses the strategic question of how technology can fundamentally reshape airline economics, resilience and customer engagement.

The session positions digital transformation not as a finite programme, but as a continuous process of adaptation in an industry facing structural shifts in cost, demand and competition.