Alaska Airlines, in partnership with UP.Labs, has introduced a new software platform called Odysee, aimed at simplifying flight scheduling, one of the most complex areas of an airline’s business.
The technology was launched with $5 million in seed funding from UP.Partners, a venture company in Santa Monica, California. It was introduced during the UP.Summit 2024 Community Day, an event showcasing the latest transportation technologies, held on September 29, 2024.
Odysee is a software platform that uses AI and big data to optimize flight schedules. It helps create flight plans and quickly measures how changes in the schedule affect revenue, profitability and reliability.
“What sets Odysee apart is its ability to help airline schedulers assess the various tradeoffs that come with certain schedule changes, allowing them to make more informed choices in building comprehensive flight schedules,” said Steve Casley, Odysee Chief Executive Officer.
The platform can perform hundreds of simulations in just seconds, giving accurate flight-level insights to test a future schedule. It can also analyze more options and evaluate more variables than the human brain ever could.
“I know that configuring an airline to use each airplane optimally is a key lever for operational reliability, a remarkable travel experience for our guests, and maximizing revenue,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO. “Odysee leverages artificial intelligence to help our teams put our airplanes in the right place, at the right time.”
The new AI-powered flight schedule optimization technology aims to ensure the best use of each aircraft asset and their interconnections, as stated in the press release.
The collaboration between Alaska Airlines and UP.Labs, the venture lab of UP.Partners, was established through Alaska Star Ventures, the investment branch of the airline. Over the next three years, the partnership plans to launch additional startups focused on addressing key challenges in aviation and mobility.