Japan Airlines (JAL) and JAL Engineering have just received a prestigious IT award in recognition of their groundbreaking innovations in aircraft maintenance. The duo was honored with the renowned “IT Award (Open Innovation Area)” during the 42nd IT Award ceremony presented by the Japan Institute of Information Technology. Impressively, this marks the third time that Japan Airlines and its engineering division have clinched this esteemed IT accolade.

This year's theme for the 2024 awards revolved around “Maintenance DX in pursuit of ‘Zero Zero 100’ in aircraft maintenance.” The award ceremony, along with special lectures, is scheduled to take place on January 30 and 31, 2025, as part of the 40th IT Strategic Comprehensive Conference (ITMC 2024) held at The Prince Park Tower Tokyo in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

In a bid to prevent aircraft failures by foreseeing and preventing them, JAL Engineering has been diligently working on Digital Transformation (DX) for aircraft maintenance under the guiding principle of ‘Zero Zero 100.’ The airline proudly attributes its IT award win to several key initiatives: a cutting-edge failure prediction algorithm leveraging big data and AI technology, leading to a significant enhancement in identifying potential aircraft failures in advance.

Moreover, by harnessing medical image recognition AI technology in engine endoscopy, JAL has significantly improved the accuracy of internal engine inspections, thus averting potential engine malfunctions before they transpire. What's more, the collaboration between JAL and JAL Engineering has resulted in the development of an innovative app dedicated to optimizing aircraft maintenance planning automatically.

This pioneering app streamlines the task allocation process, ensuring experienced personnel are assigned jobs effectively by factoring in various constraints, including aircraft usage and the availability of mechanics. The IT Award, a highly esteemed recognition, is bestowed upon companies and organizations in the Japanese industry for their exceptional contributions to management innovation using IT. The accolade underscores the remarkable achievements of companies that have leveraged IT innovations to spearhead remarkable advancements in the Japanese industrial sector.