A major global airline is currently evaluating the potential use of blockchain technology to monitor and manage workflows within its aircraft maintenance systems.
As reported by Aviation Today, Air France recently explored the concept during a webinar held in collaboration with Microsoft and Ramco Aviation—a software provider specializing in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) systems used by airlines to maintain their fleets.
In the webinar, James Kornberg, innovation director for Air France KLM’s business division, noted that supply chain use cases are particularly appealing to the airline.
He said, “the overall use has to be more of realistic. The four different features of the Blockchain are trace-ability, resilience, integrity and even disinter-mediation to suit up with the overall aviation supply chain.”
The decision-making process for Air France to transition entirely to a blockchain-based system is still underway and remains an ongoing topic of internal discussion over the past several weeks.
As reported by Aviation Today, Kornberg stated that a major challenge lies in the absence of digital storage for a significant portion of airline data. He emphasized that unless the industry modernizes its reliance on paper-based processes, the benefits of blockchain technology may not be fully realized.
Kornberg observed that a significant share of data within the aviation industry still exists in analog form and has yet to undergo digitization. He stressed that the current top priority is to fully transition to digital platforms, encompassing every aspect of the supply chain along with all aviation-related data overseen by the organization.