At last week’s Predictive Aircraft Maintenance (PAM) Conference in Dublin, Fabrice Villaumé, head of digital business at Airbus Customer Services, took to the stage to explain the history and core principles that define the Digital Alliance – a partnership formed in 2019 between Airbus, Delta TechOps and GE Aerospace that uses AI to develop predictive maintenance models for aircraft.

The Digital Alliance is the only one of its kind in the industry, and its platform is powered by Airbus Skywise, which “has so far connected 11,400 aircraft – more than 52% of the Airbus flying fleet – and collected a wealth of information from aircraft maintenance information systems and sensor data,” explained Villaumé.

Villaumé also highlighted that the alliance now serves 40 customers, including major carriers like Delta Air Lines, easyJet, Jetstar, Qantas, and SAS, through its Skywise Fleet Performance+ platform.

“Over the next two decades, we will see more than 48,000 aircraft in service. This growth demands not only new technologies but also innovative approaches to scalability, efficiency, and resilience,” Villaumé said. “The industry recognises the need for collaboration and for putting the right frameworks in place. Only then can we address the challenges of unlocking the full potential of the data generated by aircraft. The Digital Alliance is poised to shape the future of aviation maintenance.”

Equipment manufacturer Liebherr-Aerospace is the latest industry partner to join the Digital Alliance. After Villaumé’s presentation, he invited Pierre Escudier-Donnadieu from Liebherr-Aerospace to join on stage for a panel discussion alongside Alice Belcher from Delta Air Lines and Alex Haines from GE Aerospace to engage with the audience.

All panelists agreed on the exciting prospects for the Digital Alliance’s future. Haines emphasised, “Collaboration is key. By working together, we can achieve more. We’re committed to meeting regularly to advance our efforts, and our ultimate goal is to bring more organisations onto the Digital Alliance’s journey.”

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