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Editor’s Note: To kick-start 2015, we are publishing a five-part weekly series on the Future of Air Travel. For this exclusive series, SimpliFlying consultants have been interacting with leading thinkers and futurists and tapping their valuable insights. This is the second interview of our series.
Simon Torrance is the CEO of Metaflight, an advisory company specialising in digital innovation. Simon has also been responsible for creating the “Telco 2.0 Initiative”. As a Senior Advisor at Bearing Point, he also researches new business models in the ICT sector.
In this interaction with Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, he stresses on innovation to develop a seamless travel experience, from arrival at the airport to boarding the aircraft, without the inconvenience of multiple checks. The conversation then shifts to technologies that can impact aviation and air travel in the future and Simon discusses Big Data, Cloud Computing and Social Media.
Big Data: Simon believes Big Data can be great to analyse movements of not just aircraft but also passengers. It can help planes arrive on-time, as well as liaise smoothly with ground transportation like trains and buses for increased passenger comfort.
Cloud Computing: Besides enabling rapid analysis of Big Data, Cloud Computing can help in major reduction of IT costs at airlines.
Social Media: Simon mentions the possibility of airlines linking different people, in effect passengers themselves, to enable better travel experiences. KLM’s Meet and Seat initiative immediately comes to mind.
Usage of Digital Identity is also discussed as a tool to increase passenger convenience. TSA’s Pre-Check & Global Entry are two such similar programs, but the challenge is to make that process even better, in terms of security and comfort point of view.
Some of the key highlights of the interaction include:
- Thoughts on future of aviation [0:29]
- How short-haul flying can be a better experience [0:51]
- Technologies which will impact aviation’s future [1:08]
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