The increase in flight demand, combined with significant fluctuations in pilot availability, is leading to delays and cancellations. To avoid or mitigate these issues and provide effective pilot workload management, digitalisation, higher levels of automation in ATM operations, and the use of AI-based intelligence in the flight deck are key solution points. These developments will also accelerate the adoption of new ATM operations. Consequently, AI-based digital assistance concepts, designed to provide effective, human-centred support, have been a major focus for advanced research teams across the aviation industry.

The Airborne Digital Assistant (AIR-DA) is an AI-based pilot support tool that provides three types of assistance: ATC instruction management support, flight strategy risk assessment, and more predictable approach and landing. The assistant uses AI technologies such as speech recognition for digitalising ATC/pilot communications and displaying verified messages to the pilot; automated reasoning (deterministic AI) to identify and highlight risks in the current flight strategy; and machine learning models to predict arrival routing and runway pairing upon the pilot’s request. AIR-DA paves the way for reduced crew operations and single-pilot operations, introduces human-autonomy teaming in the flight deck, and maintains current safety levels.

Current aviation standardisations and regulations are expected to be impacted by the AIR-DA solution, as it is a new AI-based concept and certification in this area is still evolving. The solution is collaborating with EASA to provide lessons learned and to explore opportunities for new standards and regulations.

BENEFITS

• Improves the ATC/Pilot communication management
• Enhances Pilot situational awareness
• Reduces Pilot workload
• Reduces Pilot (human) errors