British Airways is a 51-year-old airline, but tech-related teething troubles have long loomed over it, causing flight delays and other disruptions. Now, the London-based airline says it has found a way to address these issues thanks to a ‘game-changing’ new AI, allowing for a record number of flights to depart on time. “Whilst disruption to our flights is often outside of our control, our focus has been on improving the factors we can directly influence . . . the tech colleagues have at their fingertips has been a real game-changer for performance,” British Airways CEO Sean Doyle told the Financial Times. The AI investment is part of several measures British Airways announced last year to help “revolutionize” the carrier as part of a £7 billion plan. It invested £100 million specifically on AI and automation efforts and a further £750 million into an IT overhaul. When announcing these measures last March, British Airways said the tech would help preempt delays and improve decision-making around missed flight connections. The AI tools would also help reroute flights away from poor weather conditions. The company said it would invest in improving its website, mobile app, and in-flight wifi access. Initial data from the carrier suggests that flight delays fell by 86% in the first quarter. Still, the FT’s analysis pointed out that one-hour or longer delays over the 12 months to February were still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Following massive IT debacles over the last decade, it’s taken British Airways years to reach this point. In 2017, a power outage canceled over a thousand flights and impacted 75,000 passengers. At the time, travelers complained that the airline’s app, website, and check-in machines weren’t working. Former CEO Alex Cruz said at the time that he’d take measures to mitigate future IT failure risks. However, another crisis struck in 2019, affecting flights out of Heathrow and Gatwick airports and hampering the summer travel plans of scores of passengers. A more recent outage from 2022 caused British Airways to axe short-haul flights, and with its app and website down, customers couldn’t immediately find alternatives to reach their destination. The airline faced additional challenges emerging out of the pandemic, including proposed strikes over demands for higher pay. A combination of staffing issues and technical hurdles resulted in more flight delays in 2023 than before COVID-19 confined people to their homes, the BBC reported. Even now, as air travel has normalized, delays and other operational challenges pose a constant threat. Story Continues Each disruption, even if minor, can cost British Airways millions of pounds in lost revenue and refund costs. British Airways’ latest technology overhaul points to the carrier’s efforts at limiting the risk of large-scale disruptions ahead of the peak summer travel season. IAG, British Airways’ parent group, reported an operating profit of €198 million for the first quarter of 2025, up by €130 million and ahead of analyst expectations. It also said it would buy back €1 billion in shares, pointing to confidence in the airline’s growth trajectory following the multi-billion-dollar shake-up. Representatives at British Airways didn’t immediately return Fortune’s request for comment. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com View Comments
British Airways used AI to cut flight delays, but long waits still outpace pre-pandemic levels
You are reading a free article with opinions that may differ from the recommendation given by Kalkine in its paid research reports. Become a Kalkine member today to get access to our research reports, in-depth technical and fundamental research. Learn more
Start Your Free Trial Now!Download Free Report – Explore 3 Stock Ideas & Industry Insights
Unlock 3 stock ideas and key industry insights in our free report. This information is general in nature and does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is not financial advice.
All investments involve risk—consider independent advice before making any investment decisions.
View 3 Research ReportsThis information, including any data, is sourced from Unicorn Data Services SAS, trading as EOD Historical Data (“EODHD”) on ‘as is’ basis, using their API. The information and data provided on this page, as well as via the API, are not guaranteed to be real-time or accurate. In some cases, the data may include analyst ratings or recommendations sourced through the EODHD API, which are intended solely for general informational purposes.
This information does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. Kalkine does not assume any responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as a result of using this information, data, or any analyst rating or recommendation provided. Kalkine will not accept any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on the information, including but not limited to data, quotes, charts, analyst ratings, recommendations, and buy/sell signals sourced via the API.
Please be fully informed about the risks and costs associated with trading in the financial markets, as it is one of the riskiest forms of investment. Kalkine does not provide any warranties regarding the information on this page, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use.
Please wait processing your request...