Civil aviation ministry maximising use of IT, AI for air transport service

By Mohamed Attia 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation seeks to enhance the digital transformation system in all its companies and sectors, as part of efforts aimed at maximising the use of solutions provided by information and communication technology and artificial intelligence techniques within the framework of the Egyptian state’s orientation towards digital transformation through the development of information and communication technology infrastructure.

‏The past period witnessed a set of procedures and meetings to promote digital transformation as Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar met with Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat to enhance co-operation between the two ministries in the field of digital transformation.

‏The meeting witnessed the signing of a co-operation protocol between the Ministry of Civil Aviation represented by the General Meteorological Authority and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with the aim of activating the role of information technology and artificial intelligence techniques in developing services provided to experts and those interested in the field of meteorology, as well as weather forecasts and information and data management and analysis systems in order to provide services electronically and overcome all Technical challenges and providing accurate services to dealers in this field.

‏Minister Manar affirmed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeks to co-operate and coordinate with the Ministry of Communications to achieve a huge technological leap in various fields and activities of the air transport industry, keeping pace with modern digitisation and the era of digital transformation.

‏The transformation of digitisation was not limited to the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, but also included EgyptAir, which signed a partnership agreement with “Value” and “BetabsEgypt” to provide electronic payment services for airline tickets.

‏The partnership is the first of its kind in the Egyptian aviation sector and allows customers to make their payments electronically in the easiest way

‏Under this agreement, Valeo will provide purchase now and pay later services to EgyptAir customers to book and pay domestic and international airline tickets and make payments through the PayTabs Egypt payment gateway.

‏Amr Aboul-Enein, Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company, said that the national airline seeks to provide easy solutions to its customers in paying tickets at an appropriate cost by relying on digital solutions to provide better services to customers, in light of the plans set by the company to expand its digital services with the growth of its network of lines and increase frequencies to many points around the world.

‏For his part, Amr Nabil, President of EgyptAir Airlines, said that the agreement with Valeo and PayTabs Egypt provides the ability to pay for airline tickets for larger segments of customers, using flexible payment methods that are appropriate to their needs.

‏ Nabil stressed that this agreement is the first partnership of its kind for EgyptAir customers to benefit from a number of payment advantages to pay for domestic and international airline tickets and EgyptAir services through PayTabs Egypt payment gateway, which provides financing solutions for flights in the easiest possible ways.

‏In light of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s strategy to enhance the digital transformation system in the aviation sector and expand the provision of mechanized services, EgyptAir for Medical Services began expanding in launching many “electronic” services.

‏Dr Ayman Salah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EgyptAir Medical Services Company said that the information infrastructure at EgyptAir Hospital is currently being developed to allow the provision of all medical services in an “automated” manner according to an integrated information system that will achieve a breakthrough in the medical services system to include all patients’ data from radiology, analyzes and patient history through an integrated information network and a linked HIS system.

‏ It also allows controlling appointments for clinic reservations, conducting medical examinations and analyzes, following up on their results, and any inquiries with customer service.

‏All services provided to the patient are linked to financial inquiries for the required service and linked with pharmacies, medical stores and procurement management in accordance with the principles of governance through the development of the information infrastructure for all data and services for patients, medical staff and hospital staff.

‏Salah said that the development of the information network will be completed within the next three months, in line with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s strategy towards modern governance and digitisation, explaining that a new information network operating system is currently being selected in co-operation with the information sector of EgyptAir.

‏Among the new services provided by EgyptAir Hospital, in coordination with the airlines, is the possibility of communication between the flying crews on board EgyptAir flights and the hospital’s reception department, in the event any passenger suffers a health problem during the flight, providing medical instructions and first aid to him, while providing the planes with ambulance bags from the Medical Department periodically preventative.

‏The new service allows medical follow-up with members of the flight crew for any sick condition on board the plane and providing it with any medical consultations to save the life of any passenger who may be exposed to a health problem by describing the case and communicating with the crews at the hospital.