Cathay launches new tech subsidiary

Cathay Group has launched Cathay Technologies to sell the carrier group’s in-house technology innovations to the larger aviation community. “In terms of technology, Cathay already has 90% of our digital assets in the cloud, 100% of our data in the data lake and also we have 100% connectivity in our cabin with in-flight Wi-Fi,” Lawrence Fong, Cathay’s director of digital and IT, said at an April 17 news conference. “With all these achievements, we should be able to do more. That's why now we're going to take one more step forward to start a new subsidiary, Cathay Technologies.” Cathay Technologies’ inaugural chief executive is Navin Chellaram, Cathay general manager of digital ventures. Flagship product Cathay Technologies’ flagship product is the Electronic Flight Folder (EFF), which Cathay developed in 2019. Used daily by 3,900 pilots across Cathay Group, including Cathay Pacific, Cathay Cargo , HK Express and Air Hong Kong, the EFF improves pilots’ access and management of flight information. This results in cost savings and faster turnaround, according to Cathay. [caption id="attachment_57150598" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Electronic Flight Folder is used by pilots across Cathay Group’s airlines. (Courtesy/Cathay)[/caption] Key features of the EFF are: Ops Chat, which enables real-time communication between ground staff and other connected aircraft to share safety information, such as turbulence, using text and images; Historical flight data, including fuel levels and consumption, to reduce uncertainty and standardize crew performance; Digital refueling, a process that enables contactless and streamlined refueling, which reduces ground time by up to seven minutes per flight; and The Electronic Enroute Diversion guide, which gives users access to more flight routes, saving more than 4 tonnes of fuel on selected long-haul routes over high terrain. Future AI solutions Cathay Technologies is beginning to sell the EFF but will eventually add other solutions. “We've got more than eighty AI models that are internally developed by Cathay to support our people's work and also to support our work to elevate our customer experiences,” Aldric Chau, Cathay’s general manager digital, said at the news conference. Cathay has used AI to optimize operations following implementation of the three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) in November, Chau said. “It has significantly uplifted our cargo throughput and the passenger volume at the Hong Kong airport,” Chau said. “At the same time, it brings along significant changes to our operations team, simply because of the much higher volume of passengers and cargo.” Cathay created an AI model to simulate the operation of a three-runway system using data from its aircraft sensory system, including geo-positioning, landing and takeoff times, and other operational factors. “We can basically simulate on every given day how the aircraft will be moving when they come to Hong Kong International Airport, how they go to the passenger terminal building and how they go from there to the next flight for departure,” Chau said. This allows Cathay to manage ground service equipment to refuel aircraft, transfer cargo and baggage and more. “We have developed this capability for Cathay pilots to see how they should be planning their route within the apron so that they can get to that destination faster and that, in turn, will improve our on-time performance of the flight,” Chau said. Register now for Cargo Facts EMEA, an essential regional event for industry stakeholders, on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

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