Artificial intelligence technology is crucial for the survival and future success of airline MRO providers.

That was the massage from Julia Larsson, EMEA director of operations at Web Manuals a digital documentation specialist for the aviation sector.

Larsson, who spoke at last week’s Aerospace Tech Week in Munich on digital evolution in MRO, said “it really is time now for MRO to take the lead to go digital”.

Web Manuals, which recently acquired Gothenburg-based ManualAI, has launched Amelia, a digital assistant for engineers that can answer their questions more efficiently than paper documentation.

Speaking to Aviation Business News at ATWEU, Larsson said: “AI is something I believe every MRO sooner or later needs to implement in their organisation.

“It comes with digital tools that are crucial for future success and survival. It’s not a major step to work on your strategy and see how you incorporate it into your daily operations. The time is now.

“That’s the future. That’s why we need to go paperless, because really why do you need paper in the digital world? That’s the only way forward.”

Amelia is an AI document search function which gives users including pilots, cabin crew and engineers, the ability to quickly find the correct information among their own content.

Due to the importance of accuracy in airline operations, the technology has been developed so that it will not “hallucinate” guaranteeing the safety of critical operations.

Larsson said firms bringing AI into their businesses for the first time will look to partner with existing providers of solutions before taking the step of bringing development in-house.

She said the MRO sector is lagging behind other areas in adopting this sort of technology which has been used for years and is driving genuine financial benefits.

“It will impact daily workflows and operations quite significantly,” added Larsson, who said firms will need the right employees who understand how the get the best out of this emerging technology.

“You need staff who understand how it will work and you need change management,” she said. “And that all come back a lot of time and effort as well an investment.

“It’s not a walk in the park now, but if you want to survive and not go out of business it’s crucial. With digital systems and AI you will have safer operations because you are reducing human error.”

Artificial Intelligence is expected to be sued to address any repetitive manual tasks and be capable of analysing vast quantities of data that no individual human can cope with.

These insights are expected to drive more effective decision making and drive innovation while supporting staff to do their jobs more effectively, said Larsson.

And she added AI could help airlines to meet new EASA Part 145 compliance monitoring regulations as the industry evolves from the traditional QMS system.

“The first step is to digitise your processes and workflows and then you will definitely encounter solutions with AI capabilities. This is something regulators will take in to consideration for future AI.”

Another area AI will have an impact on is predictive maintenance, although Larsson said the industry has a “long way to go” to realise it’s full potential.

“With information from sensors and historic data AI can identify potential hazards and risks earlier than a human. The question is what kind of sources of data does the AI have.”

Web Manuals has virtual airlines as customers that use its technology for training, to scenario plan supply chain challenges and how an airline operates in today’s digitally enhanced world.