Council Post: How Technology Is Maximizing Airline Profits

Technology is reshaping how airlines maximize profits by tightening aircraft turnaround performance, according to Assaia’s 2025 Turnaround Report. The study says that improving turnaround time by one minute on narrow-body aircraft can generate almost $15 million in additional revenue at a large airport. It attributes gains to AI and digitalization that provide time-stamped visibility into turnaround milestones and delay drivers, improving earlier response to disruptions. Alaska Airlines adopted Assaia’s real-time visibility and reported a 17% increase in flights departing on time and a 3.9-minute reduction in average ground delays, which the company links to a 30% increase in profit per flight. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, AI turnaround management at Terminal 4 cut average ground delays by five minutes per flight and supports an estimated $40 million in annual savings. The report notes adoption challenges around integration and proving measurable value.