Emirates Archives - Jet Developers Blog

Emirates Introduces Sara, the World’s First Check-In Robot Assistant

Emirates airlines is revolutionizing the flight check-in process by introducing Sara, the world’s first check-in robot assistant. With a focus on enhancing user experience, the Dubai-based airline has launched a City Check-in and Travel Store, where passengers can seamlessly complete various pre-flight tasks, including booking their travel, checking in for their flights, shopping for travel essentials, and conveniently dropping off their luggage.

This innovative approach allows passengers to save valuable time and enjoy a more relaxed airport experience. With the option to complete check-in procedures up to 24 hours before their flight, travelers can arrive at the airport at a leisurely pace, eliminating the stress associated with last-minute check-ins.

Passengers visiting the City Check-in and Travel Store can choose between self-check-in at dedicated kiosks with the assistance of human agents or opt for Sara’s help, as stated in the airline’s press release. Sara, the check-in robot assistant, is designed to provide efficient and personalized support to passengers during the check-in process, offering a streamlined and user-friendly experience.

Emirates’ introduction of Sara represents a significant step towards leveraging technological advancements to simplify and enhance air travel. By embracing automation and robotics, the airline is at the forefront of transforming traditional check-in procedures, aiming to provide passengers with a seamless and convenient journey from start to finish.

As the world’s first check-in robot assistant, Sara embodies the spirit of innovation and customer-centricity that Emirates strives to deliver. The airline’s commitment to improving the passenger experience sets a new standard in the industry and demonstrates its dedication to embracing cutting-edge technologies that revolutionize air travel.

With Sara by their side, Emirates passengers can expect a more efficient, hassle-free check-in process, allowing them to focus on enjoying their journey from the moment they step foot in the City Check-in and Travel Store.

Emirates launches Sara, world’s first check-in robot assistant that can match faces with passports

An entirely new check-in experience

Sara has a wide LCD screen measuring 98 inches(2.5 meters) and is touch-friendly. Sara will be equipped to match the faces of customers with their passports, check passengers in, and guide them through to the luggage drop area.

Passengers can also ask Sara for expert advice and offer on trending destinations, while travel consultants can further assist in purchasing tickets for future journeys, managing upgrades, managing current bookings, selecting preferred seats, and arranging extra baggage, the statement reads.

Some reports say that the future versions of Sara will be more advanced and equipped with arms that can transport customers’ luggage.

“Emirates City Check-In is our latest addition to the Emirates travel experience, showing our commitment to providing customers with an array of check-in options. Our new location is the first ultra-convenient check-in and baggage drop facility conveniently located in the DIFC area. People can avoid busy periods at the airport and minimize queuing,” Adel al Redha, the Emirates’ COO, said in a statement.

Emirates is set to adopt and integrate AI into its services in a big way. Not a week ago, Emirates President Tim Clark hinted that the airline might have AI co-pilots very soon. “Artificial intelligence is set to have a big impact on the aviation industry, with one-pilot planes a possibility. You’ve got to take time to look at what this could do to improve what you do,” he said.

AI Could Co-Pilot Planes, Reveals Emirates Airline President

Airline Industry Considers AI Pilots to Overcome Crew Shortages and Cut Costs, But Will Passengers Accept It?

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, airlines are considering the possibility of replacing one of the pilots in the cockpit with computing technology. This move could help them tackle crew shortages and reduce costs. However, the question remains whether passengers would be comfortable with this change.

According to Emirates President Tim Clark, AI is poised to have a significant impact on the aviation industry, with single-pilot planes becoming a possibility, CNBC reported on Tuesday. “You’ve got to take time to look at what this [AI] could do to improve what you do,” Clark said.

For many of us who have grown accustomed to seeing two or even three pilots in the cockpit for long-haul flights, the idea of a single AI pilot might come as a shock. However, for the airline industry, reducing human dependency as technology improves is becoming the norm.

Back in the 1950s, there was a five-member crew in the cockpit with a navigator, flight engineer, and radio operator part of the ensemble required to fly a plane. This is where the terms captain and first officer were also used. As technology improved, the three members of the crew lost their seats, and the time has now come for one of the pilots to lose theirs too.

Can planes fly without a pilot or two?

The two-pilot mandate in flights is crucial for bringing redundancy into the flying operation in case one of the pilots becomes incapacitated to fly the plane. With improving technology, though, artificial intelligence could be used to even land the plane at a preselected airport in case of an emergency.

Planes already use computers to automate a lot of tasks, and Autopilots control the aircraft for a large duration of flights anyway, with the pilots overseeing operations. Airlines and plane manufacturers are now exploring whether AI could be assigned a greater role in flight operations, with only one human needed for oversight.

One is unlikely to see one pilot flight anytime soon in the future, but there is definitely scope to experiment with two pilot long-haul flights with AI at the controls and pilots alternating rest periods in the cabin.

Experiments in solo flying could also begin by allowing one of the pilots to rest in the cabin while the other oversees flight with the aid of the AI. The U.S. military trailed AI-piloted flights earlier this year. Another method that could be deployed is using help from a ground station for take-off and landing tasks, while the rest of the flight is overseen by a single pilot.

Pilots, however, are not convinced. Past incidents have shown that when things go south well trained and rested pilots can land airplanes safely, even on a river, something AI would likely not attempt.

Autonomous air taxis could perhaps help change public perception about the need for pilots to fly an aircraft. But will the airline industry wait that long to remove redundancies in the cockpit? The rise in AI’s capabilities suggests no.

The report contains information that appeared in Fortune, CNBC.