At IFS Unleashed 2026, aviation leaders from UPS, Southwest Airlines and Japan Airlines said they are exploring AI to speed aircraft maintenance troubleshooting, preserve retiring technicians’ knowledge and help airlines keep pace with growth. A panel of IFS customers described practical uses for industrial AI as the industry faces capacity constraints and a generational change in its workforce.

DJ Rounsoville, Southwest Airlines’ managing director of strategy and digital solutions, said demand is outpacing capacity as experienced technicians retire. New mechanics may need up to two years to become fully efficient at troubleshooting, she said. Southwest’s point-to-point operations involve coordinating crews, aircraft and customers, and service disruptions can compound during the day. Lauren Purcell, aircraft engineering manager at UPS, said the industry cannot train replacements quickly enough for departing workers, taking years of accumulated knowledge with them. UPS is looking to use AI to train younger workers faster.

Japan Airlines vice president of IT and digital promotion Sugimoto Kei said the airline wants to help employees make decisions faster and with better information. Panelists described AI assistants that could surface maintenance documents and expert knowledge, with fewer maintenance work carryovers as a measure to watch. They also cited preventive maintenance and supply chain problems: Kei said Japan Airlines’ data is disparate and the company is working on its data foundation to enable AI. UPS is using AI to find alternative parts and speed supply processes; Purcell said alternative parts have been a focus for the last year. Rounsoville said AI may also help retool systems to anticipate supply chain issues.

The panelists said identifying emerging failure patterns for predictive and planned maintenance depends on reliable records of maintenance history, components and operations. Rounsoville argued that airlines must consider fleet planning and workforce together rather than optimizing one part alone. Purcell said usable data, processes and technology must work together: data integrity depends on processes that use the data, while organizational culture affects whether the effort succeeds.

At IFS Unleashed 2026, aviation leaders from UPS, Southwest Airlines and Japan Airlines said they are exploring AI to speed aircraft maintenance troubleshooting, preserve retiring technicians’ knowledge and help airlines keep pace with growth. A panel of IFS customers described practical uses for industrial AI as the industry faces capacity constraints and a generational change in its workforce.

DJ Rounsoville, Southwest Airlines’ managing director of strategy and digital solutions, said demand is outpacing capacity as experienced technicians retire. New mechanics may need up to two years to become fully efficient at troubleshooting, she said. Southwest’s point-to-point operations involve coordinating crews, aircraft and customers, and service disruptions can compound during the day. Lauren Purcell, aircraft engineering manager at UPS, said the industry cannot train replacements quickly enough for departing workers, taking years of accumulated knowledge with them. UPS is looking to use AI to train younger workers faster.

Japan Airlines vice president of IT and digital promotion Sugimoto Kei said the airline wants to help employees make decisions faster and with better information. Panelists described AI assistants that could surface maintenance documents and expert knowledge, with fewer maintenance work carryovers as a measure to watch. They also cited preventive maintenance and supply chain problems: Kei said Japan Airlines’ data is disparate and the company is working on its data foundation to enable AI. UPS is using AI to find alternative parts and speed supply processes; Purcell said alternative parts have been a focus for the last year. Rounsoville said AI may also help retool systems to anticipate supply chain issues.

The panelists said identifying emerging failure patterns for predictive and planned maintenance depends on reliable records of maintenance history, components and operations. Rounsoville argued that airlines must consider fleet planning and workforce together rather than optimizing one part alone. Purcell said usable data, processes and technology must work together: data integrity depends on processes that use the data, while organizational culture affects whether the effort succeeds.