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Boeing believes that data on airlines can unlock many possibilities for the aviation industry. According to Boeing Commercial Aviation Services senior vice president Stan Deal, data revolution could potentially reduce costs, improve reliability and efficiencies, and also expand their availability. If what he says is true, then most – if not everyone – will gain a lot from the data. The company expects that annual data generated by airplanes will have a 140-fold increase – this will become 1 petabyte in 2030, a significant gap from the 6.9 terabytes in 2010.
With the data gathered, Deal claims that this could help them develop solutions that will address cost of operating challenges as well as commercial airplane maintenance. Boeing will also be expected to work with customers to see if the collected data can provide value for the industry. However, he also recognizes that there will be some challenges that need to be crossed. For one, the use of data could be questioned by contributors – some might become suspicious that these would ultimately be sold by the company. Deal on the other hand says that queries such as these are not their priority, but rather, how the data gathered will create value for all. He longs to see the day when information could eventually turn into insight. Instead of who gets the rights to the data, he is now asking others in the airline industry to share the data, helping one another.
If airlines plan to cooperate, then many people would benefit from the agreement if what Boeing says about reduced costs would take effect. This could lead to cheaper flight costs which could make it easier on the pockets of regular travelers. Business owners on the other hand may see reduced freight charges on goods, lessening their burden on expenses. Consumers could also benefit as a result because the reduce freight charges could make imported goods cheaper in some countries. Data sharing will not only benefit the airline industry but effects could also spill over to other industries and the general public.
