Big Data Analytics in Airlines: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Big data refers to the huge amounts of information in the structured and unstructured form that cannot be processed using traditional data systems. Big data technology facilitates the utilization of high volumes of external and internal data to create new products, services and improve business operations. In the era of big data, airlines can provide services that are more satisfying to customers and to stay competitive in their fierce marketplace. Airlines can reap many benefits from big data, but many challenges still remain. This study illustrates how airlines successfully adopt big data technology. The paper also explores the opportunities and challenges of big data in the airline industry. Based upon the qualitative approach, 27 semi-structured interviews with employees and experts at airlines in Egypt were conducted. The findings reveal that big data has a great importance in providing broad opportunities for airspace management, enhancing flexibility in dealing with each passenger, boosting problem solving, supporting decision, providing safe flights, boosting predictive maintenance, and improving performance. The findings illustrate a range of challenges that airlines may face when dealing with big data, such as shortage of qualified human resources, absence of data-driven culture, dealing with and processing huge amounts of data, as well as data privacy and security issues. Finally, implications for practice as well as future researches are discussed.

النهج الأخضر- المرن: خطوة نحو تعزيز الميزة التنافسية لشركات الطيران

“…Because the airline industry is one of the most active in implementing lean and green approach practices and handles a significant volume of daily operations pertaining to reservations, customers, appointments, boarding, maintenance, investment, revenues, marketing offers, ground and logistics services, and even during the flight, airlines were selected as a sample for this study (Mohamed & Al-Azab, 2021). Goodhue et al (2012) proposed that the appropriate study sample size range between 10 and 20 times the number of latent constructs.…”

Predictive Analytics in Marketing: Contribution to Marketing Performance

“…For instance, the use of predictive analytics can enhance customer relationship management post-Covid-19 (Chinnappa et al, 2021), aid in understanding consumer behavior in the online environment (Gouvea et al, 2016), and provide valuable insights for decision-making in emerging markets (Gupta, 2022). Additionally, predictive analytics can be instrumental in agriculture, helping with activities such as farming, product storage, and risk management (Mohamed & Al-Azab, 2021).…”

Opportunities for Research in Air Transportation

“…The tools of research will be different in the near future when contrasted to those of the past but only to a limited extent. “Big data,” or data analytics (Button 2019b), for example, is playing an increasingly important role in the managing of air transportation (Dou and Tan 2020; Abdulsamie, and Ramadan Al‐Azab 2021). Airlines enhance use of their capacity by tailoring the service‐fare packages they offer closer to the need of individual customers, and structure their scheduling of planes, crew, and maintenance to reduce costs.…”