Blockchain has potential applications in the air transport industry for storing records like biometrics, drone ownership and flight information. Blockchain provides a secure, distributed ledger that allows different entities like airlines, airports, and manufacturers to share information in a way that establishes a single version of the truth. SITA has done projects exploring uses of blockchain for areas like baggage tracking, flight status, and re-engineering business processes. Blockchain could disrupt how industries engage in business-to-business interactions by enabling new models of digital identity, payments, and data sharing across organizations. Further development is still needed but blockchain may fundamentally change engagement models in the coming years.

1. BLOCKCHAIN IN THE
AIR TRANSPORT
INDUSTRY
Kevin O’Sullivan, Lead Engineer, SITA Lab

2. SITA PAST WORK ON BLOCKCHAIN
• 2016 – Project to store biometrics on blockchain (presented at IT Summit)
• 2016 – Drone ownership registry on blockchain
• 2017 – Flight Information on blockchain
• 2017 – Drone flight tracking & authorisation on blockchain

3. WHAT IS BLOCKCHAIN?
And why do I care

4. CONSENSUS
MINING
4
CRYPTOLOGY BITCOIN
DISTRIBUTED
CRYPTOCURRENCY
DARK WEB
DISINTERMEDIATION
DECENTRALISED
SECURELEDGER
ENCRYPTIONIMMUTABLE

5. TRUST
“Today, we google for everything, mostly information or products. Tomorrow, we
will perform the equivalent of “googling” to verify records, identities, authenticity,
rights, work done, titles, contracts, and other valuable asset-related processes.”
William Mougayar

6. BEWARE OF THE HYPE

7. PRODUCTION DEPLOYMENTS ON BLOCKCHAIN

8. Airline
Airport
Ground Handler
Government
Aircraft
Manufacturer
SITA

9. BLOCKCHAIN TYPES
Public Blockchain
(Permission Less)
Private Blockchain
(Permissioned)

10. WHAT A CAN YOU DO ON A BLOCKCHAIN
Store Digital Records
Transfer ownership of digital assets
Execute Smart Contracts
BagDrop – Scan BagTag
Transfer bag to
connecting flight/airline
– WorldTracer Record
– Compensation to passenger
– Pro-rata bill to airline

11. WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN MY TECH STACK?

12. HOW DO I RE-ENGINEER MY BUSINESS PROCESSES?

13. HOW DO I RE-ENGINEER MY BUSINESS PROCESSES?

14. UBER IN A POST-BLOCKCHAIN WORLD
Registration
(identity)
Credit Rating
Payment
Registration
(identity)
Licensed to drive for hire
Location &
availability for hire
Location &
desire to hire
Payment Receipt
$70bn

15. UBER IN A POST-BLOCKCHAIN WORLD
$70bn
Gov digital id blockchain (or Apple, Google, Facebook)
Gov Blockchain
Apps built with open APIs

16. FLIGHT INFO ON
BLOCKCHAIN
Just one version of the truth, please

17. SITA, LHR, IAG – JOINT RESEARCH PROJECT
• Build a permissioned blockchain which uses Smart Contract to merge data
and arbitrate when there is conflicting data
• Data from airline and airport AODB systems is merged and stored
on blockchain
• Blockchain nodes exist at SITA, IAG and LHR data centres
• There is a SINGLE version of the truth on the blockchain

18. THE FLIGHT STATUS PROBLEM…
• BA 274, LHR to GVA
• Scheduled flight data, estimated
& actuals
• Departure terminal & gate
information
• Arrival terminal, gate, baggage
carousel information

19. SITA
IAG / BA
GVA
+ Airlines
MIA
LHR

20. CONCLUSIONS

21. CONVERGING ON DISRUPTION
IoT
Automation
Digital
Identity
Blockchain
CHANGE

22. CONCLUSIONS
• There is lots of hype and a lot of potential, but blockchain is 5-10 years
from maturity
• Its 1993 all over again, when World Wide Web just started – what do we do
with it?
• The internet changed B2C engagement model. Blockchain has potential to
disrupt the B2B engagement model
• Strategic thinking required

23. DISCLAIMER
Any use, republication or redistribution of this content is
expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of the
Author. Permission to copy and reproduce content may be
granted by the author, at their discretion, and by request
only.
Source: presentation of Kevin O’Sullivan, SITA Lab at the
2017 SITA Air Transport IT Summit, Brussels.
2017 Air Transport IT Summit