The aerospace industry, and specifically jet engine manufacturers and the airlines that are their customers, need to catch up with the Big Data revolution, writes Wikibon Big Data Analyst & Principal Research Contributor Jeff Kelly in his latest Wikibon Alert, “Big Data in the Aviation Industry“.

Big Data analysis of the huge amounts of data that are and theoretically could be captured from a jet engine in operation could provide important benefits in the area of engine maintenance by identifying developing problems early. This would allow airlines to do the right maintenance at the right time to prevent failures, reducing aircraft “down time” which would save the airlines money while providing better service to customers. It would also contribute to engine efficiency improvements, which would mean planes would burn less fuel and emit fewer contaminating gasses.

Big Data analysis starting in the engine design and test phase would help the manufacturers produce more efficient, more dependable engines, for instance by identifying parts that could be strengthened through design changes. This would increase safety and value to the manufacturers’ clients.

However, Kelly writes, significant barriers block adoption of Big Data in the aviation industry. These include the challenges of moving large volumes of data from the aircraft to a central location for analysis. The question of who “owns” particular data sets and the results of analysis of that data — the manufacturers, the airlines, or regulators — also must be addressed.

As with all Wikibon research, this Professional Alert is available to the public without charge on the Wikibon site. IT professionals are invited to register for free membership in the Wikibon community, which will allow them to comment on research and post their own questions and papers. Members also receive invitations to the periodic Wikibon Peer Incite Meetings, at which their peers discuss how they leverage advanced technologies to solve business problems.