TCS bags multi-year deal from Air France-KLM

The deal will help Air France-KLM - a Europe-based global aviation leader in passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance - 'become the most data-centric airline group in the world', an official release said.

New Delhi: India's largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has bagged a multi-year deal to assist Air France-KLM in transitioning to an advanced, AI-ready, and cloud-native data landscape, according to a release.

The deal will help Air France-KLM - a Europe-based global aviation leader in passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance - "become the most data-centric airline group in the world", the release added.

It will facilitate Air France-KLM’s transition to an advanced, AI-ready, and cloud-native data landscape.

"Over the next three years, TCS will modernise the airline group's data by moving it to cloud, promoting the next generation of data-driven aviation," it said without disclosing the financial details of the contract.

This shift will help Air France-KLM exit data centres and harness the strength of the cloud, supporting the sustainable and adaptive aviation industry.

The new data architecture will enable the use of data to enhance operations, drive decisions, improve functionality, and gain efficiency.

"TCS has partnered with Air France-KLM for 30 years to enhance reliability, social media, customer service, and e-commerce. Their digital innovations, including a suite of award-winning mobile apps and features like digital queuing in airport lounges and boarding pass collection via social media, have improved passenger control and comfort," the release said.

Building on this longstanding partnership, TCS will now assist Air France-KLM in migrating its critical systems and core business data to the cloud, encompassing key areas like flight operations, passenger information, aircraft maintenance and the airline's e-commerce platforms, among others.

According to the release, this migration will enhance operational efficiency across all business lines.

Pierre-Olivier Bandet, EVP and Group CIO, Air France-KLM Group, said: "We are pleased to open a new and exciting chapter with our long-time partner TCS to make the most out of our data and new technologies to become even more data-centric and agile to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations".

It is pertinent to mention that data can aid airlines in improving efficiency, streamlining operations and fostering innovation, leading to faster and more personalised flying experiences for customers.

The data, however, often resides in a multitude of disparate and unstructured systems. Today, extracting actionable insights and value from enterprise and ecosystem data is a key challenge for many enterprises.

"The challenge is compounded for the large and complex organisation of Air France-KLM, which operates multiple airline brands with a fleet of 551 aircraft flying across 320 destinations in 100 countries," the release said.

Krishnan Ramanujam, President, Consumer Business Group, TCS, said, "We are eager to help Air France-KLM become the most data-driven airline group in the world and continue to reach new heights in air transport and customer experience, operational excellence, and sustainability for decades to come".