Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Charter operators adopting the latest automation technology could cut the time taken to schedule flights by almost a third, according to aviation software specialist FL3XX. This week, the Austria-based company reported strong growth in the U.S. market, where it is now adding around 65 aircraft each month to its network of users.
In addition to charter sales, the FL3XX platform incorporates flight dispatch, crew management, regulatory compliance, and financial reporting. The company, which is exhibiting this week at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers conference in New Orleans, said its software has now been integrated with more than 100 platforms&nbsp;used by service providers including charter booking marketplaces, catering, ground transportation, hotel bookings, maintenance, weather services, and fuel.
“Generally speaking, there is very little automation in this market for making operational decisions,” FL3XX CEO Paolo Sommariva told AIN. “Operators need to be able to trust the database and let the software do the work based on parameters they have set and those of the regulators.”
The FL3XX platform can support operational decision-making based on 9,000 or more data points. It also means that data can be shared across an operator’s team in real time, clearing roadblocks that otherwise might complicate flights.
For instance, if a charter customer wants to add a passenger to a flight at short notice, the pilot can scan a passport and instantly prompt the company’s dispatcher to verify details and release the aircraft to depart after making any changes such as weight and balance data. The software uses color coding to alert staff to urgent changes requiring action.
According to FL3XX, this approach has been found to improve the efficiency of inter-departmental communications by up to 80%. Being able to make decisions based on accurate data can support increased fleet availability of around 25%, with the system tracking factors such as the maintenance status of aircraft in real-time, as well as any service disruptions from previous trips, the company said. Additionally, the system assesses any limitations around the runway at the departure or arrival airport, determining how close to the margins a trip might be.
<h2>AI Speeds Up Charter Quotes</h2>
Like several other software providers, FL3XX is starting to make increased use of <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-05-22/easa-addresses-ai-implementation-updated-concept-paper">artificial intelligence</a>. According to Sommariva, the technology is not yet sufficiently precise to support decision-making for tasks that are subject to regulatory compliance, but it can accelerate the process of preparing charter flight quotes.
Rather than manually scouring through emails for data about existing clients, FL3XX users can use the platform’s AI search tool to collect relevant information. “So, if a client wants to go skiing tomorrow morning with family members, the operator can quickly see that he or she has two kids and know where it is that the family stays for skiing trips, and so quickly assess where the flight will need to go,” Sommariva explained. “It quickly gives all the context for the flight booking and makes it easier to put together a quote with all the trip details.”
The FL3XX system is now being used for operations in more than 60 countries and incorporates compliance details for 100-plus national aviation safety regulators. This covers factors such as flight duty time and maintenance limits and can be customized to match the requirements of individual air operator certificate holders.
“Since integrating FL3XX, our sales team has been able to push significantly more sales,” said Matt Wild, COO of Milwaukee-based operator Jet Out. “Quoting time has decreased substantially, allowing us to fit more trips into each week because we have real-time visibility into where our aircraft and crews are.”

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