FlightChain the Blockchain for the air-transport industry

2017: Pilot implementation

On November 15, 2017 analysts supplier companies of IT solutions for the air-transport industry of SITA published results of the research devoted to questions of use of "smart contracts" based on a blockchain in airlines and the airports. The report is made together with British Airways airline, Heathrow airport and the international airports of Geneva and Miami.

The efficiency of application of a blockchain in an aviation industry was checked for FlightChain technologies which, using the Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric platforms, stores information on run and uses smart contracts for assessment of potentially conflicting data. Besides, use both open, and closed a blockchain networks for the air-transport industry was considered.

As the FlightChain system works

The British Airways airline, the airports of Geneva, Heathrow and Miami provide flight data which connect and stored in a blockchain system. By November, 2017 using "smart contracts" in FlightChain more than 2 million data units about changes in accomplishment of flights are saved and processed.

Based on an experiment on FlightChain use by participants of an aviation industry the following conclusions were drawn:

The hostless system does not mean that it is self-governed. Operational control still is required for providing access to a blockchain network, to the managing software and security update and also deployment of "smart contracts".

• Insufficient development. According to specialists of SITA, by November, 2017 the technology of a blockchain is "still at an early stage of technology development", and her "immaturity" complicates its application in networks of the aviation industry.

• "Smart contracts" have no legal position. Though "smart contracts" can grease some rubbing mechanisms of interaction of the companies, industry standards are necessary for creation of such applications, the study says.

• Blockchain — not a panacea. The corporate blockchain platform is so strong as far as it has loose coupling, and the reliable output of "smart contract" should extend to each element a blockchain network.

The technical director of SITA Jim Peters so commented on a new research:

Our FlightChain project visually showed that Blockchain is the viable technology capable to give to airlines and the airports the uniform source of reliable data allowing to obtain flight information in real time. Exist, of course, and other technologies of data exchange, but Blockchain and, especially, "smart contracts", provide "shared control" with data and promote increase in their reliability. Contain a research which we conducted with our partners, confirms possibilities of blockchain technology as potential mechanism of data exchange between participants of the industry of air transport.

In 2016 SITA  developed the technology focused on digital identification of the personality in partnership about ShoCard blockchain startup. A project objective — optimization of check by airlines of persons of passengers and acceleration of data management which are processed at the airports in real time.^[1]

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