AIR BLACK BOX USES OAG’S FLIGHT INFO API TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE SCHEDULE INFORMATION ACCURACY

Creating Global Connections Requires Real-Time, Scalable Data

Every airline and airport wants to be the one to win a traveler’s business. If they cannot offer the destinations passengers want, they will go elsewhere. The inherent legacy technology challenges within the airline industry, makes it difficult for airlines and airports to reach their revenue and connection goals. This challenge was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the travel industry’s ability to connect with each other. Especially as airlines were forced to reduce capacity and downsize their network due to costs. This has opened up the need for even more collaboration between businesses in order to provide the customer with better choices. Success requires an easy, fast and efficient way to connect passengers’ reservation data across multiple carriers and segments.

ABB’s Air Connection Engine (ACE) removes the complexities of legacy airline systems, resulting in reduced distribution costs, improved direct channel sales and better traveler experiences. the technology also supports dynamic pricing, and the features which can be offered to their customers. It provides seamless capability for airlines to network and cross-sell with each other, regardless of carrier type or passenger service system (PSS) platform. It also helps airports maximize the return on their assets by integrating into the travel booking path, tapping into the self-connecting traveler, providing more services to their airline tenants, and creating operational efficiencies in their baggage processes.

Challenge

As a technology and software provider, ABB’s business goals are dependent on developing its own solutions to provide capabilities that inherently align with customer opportunities. ABB offers solutions that eliminate manual processes to give its customers smarter and more efficient ways to adapt to their changing business and revenue needs. To provide customers with results they require, ABB needed a better way to ingest and compute all the data points necessary to develop a successful product portfolio.

This meant that Air Black Box required access to reliable and real-time data sources that integrate dynamic airline schedules information into its platform. However, many solutions on the market only provide a fraction of the data in a flat file, which requires more time spent on reconfiguration and development to make the data actionable.

That is why Air Black Box turned to OAG’s Flight Info API for accurate, dynamic and easily configurable schedule data.

Solution

Air Black Box uses OAG’s Flight Info API to feed the company’s Air Connection Engine (ACE). The integration allows Air Black Box to automate the process of building schedules, while dramatically improving the accuracy of schedule information. With Flight Info API’s real-time capabilities, Air Black Box can offer its low-cost carrier (LCC) and network-airline customers more possible connections and wider choices when looking for flights to various destinations.

Having access to data via an API format created a massive advantage for Air Black Box. The company no longer needs to spend a great deal of time reconfiguring its data. With Flight Info API, Air Black Box simply connects the feed into its systems so its team can make decisions utilising the data immediately.

The integration also enables ABB to derive additional products for its portfolio, which simplifies the company’s strategic planning when devising their future road map. Having this vision and data points provides the Air Black Box with a springboard to grow its own platform.

Results

• More accurately guide customer decisions based on a better understanding of airline schedules data.
• Improved schedule accuracy by 50%.
• Scaled data processing capabilities by 25%.
• Improved the quality of its product, which has led to an 15% increase in new business leads.