Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) collaborated with industry leaders for the Future Aviation Lounge (FAL) during Dubai Airshow 2019, an initiative which showcased high impact innovations within the sector. FAL, a collective business network, is based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is used to analyse and predict the future of the global aviation industry. The thought leadership forum assessed current trends for the industry and highlighted cutting-edge services as well as new and sustainable solutions.

FAL falls in line with DAFZA’s vision to enhance and reinforce direct communication between stakeholders including both public and government sector entities. Areas of focus for FAL included policies, current and future innovative projects and collaborations that support the development of the aviation sector, which has been a key driver of the UAE’s economic growth.

Commenting on the initiative, Amna Lootah, Assistant Director General at DAFZA said: “The aviation sector represents one of the major industries that DAFZA provides services to. Through FAL, DAFZA reaffirms its commitment to supporting the industry as a leading contributor to both the local and global economy. We have been delighted to work with major aviation companies such as UAS and Panasonic on the sessions this year, which have helped to set the agenda for the future of the sector. We have witnessed the latest technological advancements, including the impact of AI and cloud on the industry. FAL plays a key role in promoting a culture of collaboration amongst different entities with the aim of creating sustainable growth for the aviation industry.”

At the event this year, Abdul Charafeddin, Vice President, Sales at UAS international trip support and Marco Ghassemi, Senior Director of Sales and Account Management at Panasonic discussed the impact of new technologies on the future of aviation industry.

“Today, the aviation sector is embracing cutting-edge technologies to evolve and enhance operations. This is helping to boost efficiency, profitability and sustainability within the industry,” said Abdul Charafeddin, Vice President, Sales at UAS international trip support. “We are also witnessing an increase in the use of drones, VR, AR, machine learning and AI which are now playing key roles within the overall sector,” added Charafeddin.

“We reaffirm our commitment in supporting the digitalization of the trip planning process, with the aim of meeting the operators demand with holistic flight management platforms that are easy-to-use, provide self-service, and are optimized for mobility. Ensuring their data security by developing advanced algorithms is key, they also provide rich content and progressive applications,” concluded Charafeddin.

“Inflight entertainment and connectivity is what travelers are seeking these days. Through cloud technology innovations we are able to collect, analyze and provide operators accurate data that highlights customer requirements to ensure meeting their demands,” said Marco Ghassemi, Senior Director of Sales and Account Management at Panasonic.

“We are at the forefront of adapting new technologies that will help enhance the customer travel experience. We are committed to offering a wide range of services that will be game changing for the aviation industry,” Ghassemi added.

Hosted by DAFZA, FAL was first launched during the 2017 edition of the Dubai Airshow by His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

FAL aims to foster the spirit of innovation and creative thinking to shape solutions for challenges faced by the aviation industry. The initiative features various activities and challenges that enables industry experts and stakeholders to pitch new ideas.