- The new application was unveiled at the Global Airport Passenger Symposium (GAPS)
- The application combines AIDM with Alexa and blockchain technology to provide passengers with information  about their travel
A new blockchain-based solution has been unveiled at the IATA’s Global Airport Passenger Symposium (GAPS) which held from October 2-4 in Athens, Greece. This new solution is an application from NIIT Technologies Ltd. that uses the IATA’s Airline Industry Data Model (AIDM) to infuse Alexa and Blockchain technology to give a seamless and more effective aviation experience to consumers.
The application allows consumers to quickly get information about their flights, flyer miles, and bookings. The use of blockchain technology helps the information being given to be more efficient and secure,as well as more convenient to access for the consumer.
How it Works
One of the most important aspects of building this application was the use of AIDM. AIDM is a model used in the aviation industry to sync and track information. The application will collect and present information from multiple sources and AIDM helps it do that.
The AIDM structures are also used by the Hyperledger fabric to push chain-m, which is used by airlines to store and reconcile their various records through the use of smart contacts.
These work together to create an application that sources the information in a timely manner from the various sources and delivers it to the user.
One of the biggest benefits of AIDM is that it helps to better understand the aviation industry in which terms are very fluid in their meanings as a single term can have multiple meanings depending on context, and multiple terms are used to describe the same concept.
This often leads to confusion and inconsistencies. By using AIDM, these issues are significantly reduced.
The End-Goal
The management behind both IATA and NIIT have spoken out about their goals regarding this new venture and how it will benefit consumers.
Marie Masserey, Head, Industry Architecture, IATA, stated, “The AIDM was conceived as an essential industry tool to deliver interoperable data exchange standards faster. It is exciting to see the model content used to build innovative airline applications.”
Anil Batra, Transformation leader, Travel and Transportation, NIIT Technologies, hadthis to say:
“AIDM aims to increase the consistency of data definition, break silos and provide a standard messaging to improve interoperability, and reduces the risk of project failure.
