On November 15-16, 2017, IATA organised the first Aviation Data Symposium in Miami, FL USA. This event covered different angles of the application of engineering and data analytics to airline safety, operations, passenger distribution, sales, and air freight. These three areas were complemented by a technology track, which covered techniques and tools to support data activities in airlines. The safety and operation tracks discussed how big data is helping airlines to optimise operations while maintaining safety, and also presenting the upcoming main challenges.
The event also covered a review of the benefits from the various global information sharing and exchange networks, including the Global Aviation Data Management programmes coordinated by IATA. During the Symposium, Mr. Quevedo presented IATA data connect, the database of aviation accidents, IATA FDX, the GDDB and STEADES. ASIAS, the US data exchange programme was also presented by Mr. Madar, Managing Director of Operation Safety of American Airlines. Then, Mr. Hernández-Coronado, Director of Safety Analysis and QM of the Spanish Aviation and Security Agency (AESA) presented the European programme Data4Safety, that was recently launched by EASA in Europe.
Concerns regarding privacy remain very strong, as often, the privacy protocols are strict and de-identification could make data challenging to use, as explained by the programme representatives. Mr. Madar stressed new techniques and technologies that allow to progress on data privacy, together with new tools that allow to move from descriptive to predictive technologies, like machine learning, as an area that will help the programmes evolve, as the descriptive analysis done in the last decade, as done with ASIAS.
Mr. Hernández-Coronado presented SafeClouds in detail. AESA participates in the SafeClouds project and helps the team understand how different technologies researched in the project can help aviation data exchange programmes overcome some of the presented challenges. These challenges include data fusion and integration, data protection and privacy, and computing infrastructures. SafeClouds also investigates predictive analytic concepts and techniques to help aviation stakeholders make decisions, even during the operations.
Mr. Hérnandez-Coronado also covered the activities performed by the Spanish Aviation and Security Agency, particularly the Spanish SSP, State Safety Programme. This system receives and collects around 300-400 safety events per week. He also presented the RIMAS system, showing the capability of providing a complete risk assessment picture of the national safety status by combining a variety of data sources; ultimately providing analytical support for AESA so that they may focus their attention on those areas that require supervision.
