AWS re:Invent 2025 - Sky’s the limit with crew operations modernization for United Airlines(AIM2200)

AWS re:Invent 2025 - Sky's the limit with crew operations modernization for United Airlines (AIM2200)

Overview

This presentation from AWS re:Invent 2025 showcases how United Airlines is leveraging AWS services to modernize their crew operations and improve efficiency, flexibility, and the overall employee experience. The session highlights the key challenges faced by United, the innovative solutions implemented, and the tangible business benefits achieved.

Challenges Faced by United Airlines

• Outdated legacy systems and processes for crew scheduling, rostering, and management
• Lack of real-time visibility and agility in responding to operational disruptions
• Difficulty in providing a seamless and personalized experience for flight crews
• Inefficient data management and siloed information across different systems

United's Modernization Journey with AWS

Crew Scheduling and Rostering

• Migrated from on-premises legacy systems to a cloud-based, scalable solution using AWS services
• Leveraged Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, and AWS Lambda to build a highly available and fault-tolerant platform
• Integrated with various data sources, including weather, flight schedules, and crew preferences, to optimize crew assignments

Crew Mobility and Collaboration

• Developed a mobile-first crew app powered by AWS Amplify and Amazon Cognito
• Enabled real-time communication, task management, and self-service capabilities for flight crews
• Integrated with Amazon Connect for seamless customer support and incident management

Data-driven Insights and Automation

• Implemented a data lake on Amazon S3 to consolidate and govern crew-related data
• Leveraged Amazon Athena and Amazon QuickSight for advanced analytics and reporting
• Utilized AWS Step Functions and Amazon SageMaker to automate complex decision-making processes and predictive modeling

Key Outcomes and Benefits

• Improved crew scheduling efficiency, leading to a 15% reduction in operational costs
• Enhanced crew satisfaction and retention through a more personalized and streamlined experience
• Increased agility in responding to disruptions, with a 25% reduction in flight delays and cancellations
• Gained real-time visibility and data-driven insights to optimize crew utilization and resource planning
• Reduced IT maintenance and infrastructure costs through the adoption of cloud-native services

Specific Examples and Use Cases

• Automated crew rostering and assignment based on factors like crew preferences, seniority, and regulatory requirements
• Leveraged machine learning models to predict crew availability and proactively manage crew shortages
• Enabled self-service features for crew members to swap shifts, request time off, and access personalized schedules
• Provided a unified platform for crew members to access company policies, training materials, and travel information

Conclusion

United Airlines' modernization of crew operations with AWS has resulted in significant operational efficiencies, improved employee experience, and enhanced decision-making capabilities. The innovative use of cloud-based services, data analytics, and automation has transformed the way United manages its most valuable asset - its flight crews. This success story showcases the transformative potential of cloud technology in the aviation industry.