Business Operation Group,
Business Development Department,
Commercial Aviation Systems
Taking safety in the sky to the next stage with the power of AI.
In aviation, lightning is a natural phenomenon posing a risk that cannot be dismissed. In recent years, the frequency of lightning is increasing, so the damage by lightning strikes is also rising. This has raised concern over increasing economic losses for airlines. Given these circumstances, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. conducted joint research with Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. and developed an AI model to enable highly accurate prediction of zones in which lightning strikes are likely to occur. This was followed by the start of a support service in April 2024 to help with decision-making to avoid lightning strikes on flying aircraft around Japanese airports. This support service, called "Lilac®", is summarized herein, together with the effects resulting from its implementation.
