With the latest AI technology showing extraordinary promise for aviation, more than 150 industry leaders gathered to discuss real-world use cases and assess their organizations’ readiness to adopt the technology, as well as build a culture of responsible, safe AI use.

During the inaugural AI Symposium for Business Aviation (AISBA) held this week and hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s David B. O’Maley College of Business with the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and Tuvoli, presenters described a future in which artificial intelligence can supercharge booking, compliance, safety, operations, customer engagement, maintenance and other aviation business applications. But a core message from the presenters was that AI cannot replace human responsibility in aviation's safety-critical environment.

“The future of AI in business aviation isn’t going to be decided by the technology itself,” said Greg Johnson, president and CEO of private aviation transaction platform Tuvoli, which is also a partner at Embry-Riddle’s Research Park. “It's going to be shaped by the people who decide where to use it, where not to use it, what standards we expect from it and what problems we choose to solve with it.”

The conference brought together representatives from a broad cross-section of the aviation industry, including corporate flight departments, technology companies, air charter operators, manufacturers, maintenance organizations and fuel companies, among others. The three-day symposium — held from Sept. 14-16 — included a day of presentations and panels followed by more granular workshops.

“NATA is committed to helping our members understand and harness emerging technologies in ways that enhance their safety, strengthen their businesses and support informed decision-making,” said Curt Castagna, NATA president and CEO.

The event also focused on engaging university students in discussions on how they are learning to use AI in their future aviation and aerospace careers. Participants included students from Embry-Riddle, the University of North Dakota, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Indiana Wesleyan University and the University of California, Berkley.

“This symposium isn't only about preparing students for the future of business aviation. It's about giving the next generation an opportunity to shape it,” said Joe Gibney, dean of Embry-Riddle’s David B. O’Maley College of Business.  

Shivika Singh, a junior Aviation Business Administration student and NATA intern, said she attended the symposium to gain a perspective on how companies are currently using AI to “optimize the supply chain in the aerospace, space and commercial airline industries.”

Proceeds from the event will support student scholarships through the National Air Transportation Foundation.

“Through our partnership with Tuvoli and Embry-Riddle’s David B. O’Maley College of Business, we are proud to advance industry education, engage students and faculty in these important conversations,” Castagna said.

Beyond the AI Hype

Cristine Kirk, CEO of Malone AirCharter and board chair of NATA, opened the symposium, telling attendees that discussions would focus on “how AI can help our companies work smarter, make better informed decisions and respond to operational challenges.”

Johnson and Gibney then took the stage and posed several questions to Skyler, a business aviation intelligence agent. Asked what business aviation most misunderstands about AI, the agent said the industry errs by treating AI “as just another software feature.”  But AI “doesn't replace human authority,” the agent continued, “when safety, legality or customer trust are involved.”

The keynote was followed by a presentation from Amazon Web Services’ Srikanth Sopirala and Suresh Raavi, who explored real-world examples of AI use in maintenance, booking and compliance. These are “proven starting points,” said Sopirala, principal GenAI/ML specialist solutions architect at the company.

Toby Benenson, founder of AI governance practice framework SayFlight, then polled the audience on questions from a hypothetical scenario in which an AI prompt about hangar space was approved. The key, he said, is “making sure judgment keeps its seat.”

Another session brought together Chris Heine, director of key accounts at Tuvoli, Greg Heine, senior vice president of maintenance software strategy and operations at Jet Support Services (JSSI), and Kent Pickard, chief technology officer at Bluetail, to discuss the role of AI in aircraft maintenance. The point is not “to have AI,” said Chris Heine, but “to understand your priorities and the scale you take on.”

Barry Shevlin, CEO of FlyUSA, spoke about novel ways he and his team have scaled AI at the private jet charter and aircraft management company. He gave examples of how the company’s custom “fusion operating system” has given his team what he described as “superpowers.”

Other sessions focused on AI in aviation safety and operations. During a panel discussion with four Embry-Riddle students, Dr. Alyssa DeNaro, administrative fellow for AI Initiatives in Embry-Riddle’s Office of the Provost, said the university is educating all students in the fundamentals of AI to prepare them for future careers and leadership roles in the aviation and aerospace industry.

“We’ve also worked to continue supporting our students who are doing great work in AI research, in coordination with faculty, and pushing the boundaries with what we can do with AI,” DeNaro said.   

Pedro Tanure Barbosa, an Aerospace Engineering student who is also pursuing a master’s degree in Aviation Finance, said he found AI-driven strategies for lead generation discussed during the conference relevant to his previous internships, which include serving as a sales operations intern at Textron, an aircraft sales engineering intern at TAM Executive Aviation and an engineering intern at Embraer.

“Attending this symposium has been extremely helpful,” he said. “It really makes our degrees feel purposeful, because you see what’s after the finish line.”