Google Cloud lands partnership with Air France-KLM

Google Cloud has announced a strategic collaboration with Air France-KLM (AFKL), a leading global airline group, to help the airline leverage the power of its data, analytics, and generative AI (gen AI) technology to accelerate its data-centric and multicloud strategy, drive innovation, and reimagine the future of the travel industry.

Through the enhancement and growing value of its data, and its AI and gen AI strategy, Air France-KLM intends to boost the travel experience and satisfaction of its customers with more personalized offerings; optimize its operations on the ground and in the air; simplify the internal use of data and gen AI technology; and foster overall business and employee innovation.

Unlocking the power and value of Air France-KLM’s data

With three major airline companies, 551 operating aircraft, and 93 million passengers carried in 2023, Air France-KLM operates commercial and cargo flights and provides engineering and maintenance services to other air carriers, all generating massive amounts of data.

Air France-KLM has engaged in a major transformation of its three legacy data centers toward a multi-cloud strategy. Moving applications to the cloud and accelerating data value and insights, AFKL will leverage Google Cloud’s data and analytics tools, including BigQuery. With Google Cloud’s commitment to security and privacy, Air France-KLM will maintain full ownership and control of its data, while improving time-to-market, innovation, and less data processing latency to better serve its business units in their digital journeys.

Through this work, the group will gain a deeper understanding of passenger preferences, travel patterns, and behaviors to offer newly tailored travel options and services, and be able to enhance flight, airport, and business operations, with the time needed for data analysis in predictive plane maintenance already dropping from hours to minutes, improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

Exploring the benefits of generative AI

Early gen AI use cases include customer agent support with automatic documentation for a facilitated customer management; easier and more efficient aircraft maintenance; and many others in development for internal and external-facing purposes.

Building a common, joint, and unique data lakehouse, the group will also tap into Google Cloud’s gen AI expertise and tools to accelerate its pioneering gen AI strategy in an Air France-KLM dedicated and secured gen AI cloud instance. The gen AI instance will benefit from the multimodal capabilities, a flexible multicloud approach, and ultra-low latency.

”Our collaboration with Google Cloud is a significant step forward in our data strategy," said Air France-KLM Group EVP and group CIO Pierre-Olivier Bandet. “By leveraging Google Cloud's advanced data technology with a real partnership approach, we intend to accelerate our innovation capacities with security in mind, and with generative AI, build the future of travel.”

Transform organization and grow cloud based innovation

In addition to technology, Google Cloud will provide training and support sessions to Air France-KLM's teams, fostering a culture of data democratization. Covering data science and engineering, security, infrastructure and gen AI, the sessions will include hackathon-like events, on-site, and online dedicated training. Air France-KLM product teams, which are already recognized for their expertise, will then reach the new stage of competency and capability to handle cloud and data technologies to better leverage data for informed decision-making and innovation.

“Airlines generate massive amounts of data, much of which can be incredibly valuable in helping drive operational insights, build better customer experiences, and – with the power of gen AI – create entirely new services and offerings. We’re proud to support Air France-KLM in its innovation journey and to help the group define the future of the airline industry,” said Matt Renner, President, Global Revenue at Google Cloud.