AI drives innovative solutions at Bombardier

Bombardier is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive cutting-edge solutions for better customer service while solving some of business aviation’s most complex problems.  

At ALL IN – a show presented in late September 2023 by Scale AI, Canada’s AI Global Innovation Cluster – Bombardier’s Elza Brunelle-Yeung spoke about the challenge of acquiring data for the company’s innovative predictive maintenance project. 

“Aircraft generate thousands of parameters like temperature, pressure, things like that, but all that data was stuck on the aircraft and you needed a human being to go and retrieve it,” she said during a panel presentation on AI in aerospace.  

The solution? 

“We developed a health monitoring device, like a smart watch but for the aircraft, and we provide this to all our customers,” continued Brunelle-Yeung, Bombardier’s Senior Director, Aftermarket Products, Digital and Pricing. “These boxes have WiFi and cellular capabilities so the aircraft can transmit data back to the Bombardier data platform, and we can also offer a health monitoring service to our customers.” 

These innovations formed the basis of Bombardier’s “connected aircraft” strategy, a digital ecosystem that aims to enhance the ownership experience at every level. 

One of the key achievements in realizing this strategy was a trio of regulatory approvals (Transport Canada, EASA and FAA) obtained in April 2023 for Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus connected aircraft system. Smart Link Plus is like the “brain” of the aircraft, collecting and distributing crucial aircraft data in real time to help flight and maintenance crews prioritize and troubleshoot in-flight alerts and make better decisions in response. 

A subscription-based service, Smart Link Plus improves operational efficiency while reducing flight crew workload. All in-production Bombardier aircraft will be equipped with the system, while in-service aircraft are now eligible for an aftermarket Smart Link Plus box installation at Bombardier Service Centers. 

Stay tuned for more exciting AI-based innovations from the Bombardier team. 

“I think there are many applications in the short and long term that can benefit the industry – for example, recommendations that are specific to the individual from a sales perspective,” concluded Brunelle-Yeung.  

“You can think about many processes which we’ve had for 30 years in our industry that can be revolutionized with AI. For us at Bombardier, it’s a really exciting time as we’re developing some of these new capabilities.”