TCS signs multi-year deal with Air France-KLM to accelerate data-driven aviation

Tata Consultancy Services, a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has signed a multi-year deal to help Air France-KLM, a Europe-based global aviation leader in passenger transport, cargo transport and aeronautical maintenance, become the most data-centric airline group in the world.

Over the next three years, TCS will modernize the airline group's data by moving it to cloud, promoting the next generation of data-driven aviation. This shift will help Air France-KLM exit data centers and harness the strength of the cloud, supporting a sustainable and adaptive aviation industry. The new data architecture will enable the use of data to enhance operations, drive decisions, improve functionality, and gain efficiency.

TCS has partnered with Air France-KLM for 30 years to enhance reliability, social media, customer service, and e-commerce. Their digital innovations, including a suite of award-winning mobile apps and features like digital queuing in airport lounges and boarding pass collection via social media, have improved passenger control and comfort. Building on this longstanding partnership, TCS will now assist Air France-KLM in migrating its critical systems and core business data to the cloud, encompassing key areas such as flight operations, passenger information, aircraft maintenance, the airlines e-commerce platforms and much more. This migration will enhance operational efficiency across all business lines, ensuring seamless and secure data management as well as modernize the technology landscape enabling new possibilities.

Pierre-Olivier Bandet, EVP & Group CIO, Air France-KLM Group said: “In a rapidly evolving industry, we are committed to becoming a champion of air transport in Europe, while fulfilling our role as a frontrunner of sustainable aviation. We are pleased to open a new and exciting chapter with our long-time partner, TCS, to make the most out of our data and new technologies to become even more data-centric and agile to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

Data can help airlines improve their efficiency, streamline their operations and foster innovation, leading to faster and more personalized flying experience for customers. However, data often resides in a multitude of disparate and unstructured systems. Today, extracting actionable insights and value from enterprise and ecosystem data is a key challenge for many enterprises. The challenge is compounded for the large and complex organization of Air France-KLM which operates multiple airline brands with a fleet of 551 aircrafts flying across 320 destinations in 100 countries.

Krishnan Ramanujam, President, Consumer Business Group, TCS, said, “We could not be more proud of our 30-year shared history of innovative accomplishments and the positive impact we’ve made on the experiences of Air France-KLM passengers, employees, and partners. We are eager to help Air France-KLM become the most data-driven airline group in the world and continue to reach new heights in air transport and customer experience, operational excellence, and sustainability for decades to come.”

With this significant transformation project, TCS is poised to redefine industry standards in the travel, transport and hospitality sectors. A standout feature of this project is that data accessibility on the new cloud will be achieved within the first year. The endeavor will be led by a dedicated team of 100+ professionals across TCS delivery centers in France, Netherlands and India. The close collaboration with the Air France-KLM Data teams based in Toulouse will be pivotal in ensuring the success of this large-scale transformation.

Sapthagiri Chapalapalli, Head of Europe at TCS, said, “The partnership with Air France-KLM is one of TCS’ longest relationships in Europe. With KLM being our first customer in the Netherlands, the relationship between TCS and Air France-KLM is built on countless joint journeys, spanning multiple decades, opportunities, and challenges. While using technology to set the standards for customer experience in airline travel year after year, we managed to strengthen and deepen our partnership at the same time. This new deal is a compliment to both Air France-KLM and TCS teams for their mutual trust, commitment, and perseverance to build long lasting and successful partnerships that drive sustainable growth.”

TCS’ operations in France have seen a significant growth over the years since its beginnings in 1992. Today over 1,600 employees in the country work for 80 of France’s leading businesses. It recently modernized its corporate headquarters in La Défense, invested in creating a new Pace Port™, set up a unique Human-Centric AI Center of Excellence and has recruited 500+ people over the past three years.

With three decades of leadership in aviation, TCS partners with leading global airlines, offering consulting-led approach, cognitive-powered portfolio of business, and technology and engineering services. TCS leverages industry-specific solutions, like TCS Aviana™, a unified, autonomous, digital, cloud-ready platform for intelligent airline operations. The newly opened TCS Aviation Digital Centre in Portugal is home to its industry expertise, latest tech and tailored digital offerings, made available at the doorstep of European transportation customers.