End to flight delays? Israeli startup’s AI system to help carriers depart on time
IntellAct’s software uses airport operators and airlines’ existing security and observation cameras to detect service bottlenecks, with aim of helping cut flight delays by 50%
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel.
Flight delays are costing airlines billions of dollars every year. And still, taking off and landing late is one of the most common frustrations that air travelers face, creating a chaotic environment and long lines at airports.
As the holiday season fast approaches in Israel, and amid expectations of a travel spike, Israeli fliers will be contending with long lines at security and for the check-ins, most probably leading to flight delays.
A bounce back, as many foreign carriers resume their flights to Israel after a hiatus during the war, is bound to see Ben Gurion Airport overwhelmed by large numbers of Israeli travelers during the upcoming Passover holiday and peak summer season.
But what if airport disruptions and delays could be reduced by at least 50 percent, with flights departing on time and passenger boarding running smoothly even during peak travel periods? This is the goal of Israeli startup IntellAct.
Founded in 2017, the Jerusalem-based startup has developed video analytics software that integrates with any airport’s IT platform using existing CCTV camera infrastructure. The monitoring system uses AI-based video classification algorithm and big data to detect service anomalies in real-time and predict delays. It creates timely alerts for relevant ground handlers, airport and airline staff in case of a service delay as well as actionable mitigation plans to implement data-driven responses and resolve bottlenecks.
Reducing the number of flight delays is set to have an impact on the environment. By minimizing delays, airlines can reduce excess fuel consumption and cut carbon emissions.
“Passengers are often requested to get to the airport three hours in advance, but they are not sure whether their flight will leave on time,” IntellAct founder and CEO Udi Segall told The Times of Israel. “Our promise is removing the chaotic aspect, removing the level of uncertainty and providing airports and airlines with a reliable and predictive environment to mitigate delays.”
In the summer of 2024, over a third of flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes on arrival, up 5% from 2023, according to data by Eurocontrol. The average flight departure delay time in 2023 was around 17.8 minutes per flight, costing airlines a whopping $68 billion annually.
Each minute of delay costs the airlines more than $110, according to Segall.
“A holiday season is not a surprise as it is recurring,” said Segall. “Over time, as our system collects and gathers historical data and information, it fuses advanced machine learning and video analysis algorithms to identify recurring delays and safety risks, so there is no reason to be surprised.”
“We can look at patterns about how long it takes to board a plane during periods in which more families with children are traveling, which is the case during the holiday season versus business travelers during regular season to allow for more effective scheduling,” he added.
Segall said that one of the major challenges of the aviation industry and the main cause of flight delays is what is known as “turnaround management, that is how quickly airlines and ground staff can prepare an incoming flight to an outgoing one.”
“This is the hot potato, meaning airlines’ operational efficiency which includes a web of tasks from cleaning the plane, loading and unloading cargo, boarding and deboarding passengers, refueling, to restocking supplies – this is where the visibility of ground handling and airline teams are limited,” said Segall. “Our system is like a monitoring app that follows every step of the process chain via airport CCTV cameras and provides insights to make actionable recommendations and improve airplane turnaround times, just like a healthcare app can make recommendations about what you should do to get in shape by monitoring your daily moves.”
“As such, the system helps the airline and airport staff to have a better predictability of whether a flight is going to leave on time, and allows them to improve scheduling,” he remarked.
One of IntellAct’s investors is Israeli flagship carrier El Al, which has run a “successful” pilot program of its system at Ben Gurion Airport, Segall said. Other investors include Israeli venture capital investment platform OurCrowd, the Israel Innovation Authority and an unnamed fund based in the United Arab Emirates.
Segall said the startup has signed a multi-million-dollar contract for the commercial deployment of its technology at three major airports in Europe to monitor 1 million flights annually out of the almost 40 million flights globally. In addition, the startup has partnered with transport and aviation giant Indra, which is deploying its system across some of the world’s busiest airports.
In the US, IntellAct is working with Miami International Airport on a pilot scheme to test its technology and elsewhere has completed a total of six pilots in Europe and the Middle East.
“We have a pipeline to monitor 4 million flights in three years,” said Segall.
Asked whether the technology can be applied to other domains, Segall said that the system could also be deployed in the maritime realm.
