Aviation operations depend on different data sources that need to be analyzed and shared to support decisions and keep everyone informed. However, analysts can have a heavy workload because they manually gather data from various applications, which takes a lot of time and slows down analysis and communication.
Recognizing this scenery and knowing the value of data and the computational methods from different sources often used by airlines for fuel efficiency, there is a key solution that can provide quick and easy access to databases, supporting daily airline operations: API app connections.
Let’s dive into this subject to understand the real value of connecting external applications to your analytics fuel efficiency tool.
What are Business Intelligence or BI tools in aviation?
Generally speaking, Business Intelligence (BI) tools are software applications that collect, process, analyze, and present data to assist in decision-making. In the aviation world, BI tools help visualize key metrics like fuel consumption, emissions, flight delays, and operational costs. These tools typically feature dashboards, reporting functionalities, and advanced analytical capabilities.
👨💻 Have you ever used or heard of Tableau, Power BI or Qlick? These are BI tools, popular for integrating various operational datasets, enabling dispatchers and fuel managers to analyze the performance of fleet and operations.
What is a BI API? What’s its technical purpose?
A Business Intelligence API is an interface that allows connectivity between BI tools and other applications. In this article, we will focus on airline-specific usage: the connectivity between fuel efficiency tools and BI tools. In this case, BI APIs provide a technical bridge to connect data for in-depth analysis, visualization, and reporting.
Related content >>> How airlines use data to improve fuel efficiency.
Going further, BI APIs help airlines' operational teams access critical performance data, such as fuel usage trends, aircraft performance, and route information. This access is vital, as the complexity of aviation data requires a structured approach for effective analysis. BI APIs also automate massive data extraction and reporting, providing timely and relevant insights without manual effort. By integrating multiple key data sources, they enable advanced analytics, driving data-driven decisions that enhance fuel savings and operational efficiency.
Let's use an example to understand the basis of how this works.
Imagine an airline fuel analyst using SkyBreathe® as their fuel efficiency solution. He is tasked with creating a dashboard in Power BI focused on descent profiles, using datasets from various sources. To do this, the analyst must first select the data he needs for the dashboard, including his airline's SkyBreathe® data: information that is both highly accurate and diverse, drawn from multiple aviation systems such as AOC (OCC files), FDR (Flight Data Recorder), and OFP (Operational Flight Plan).
With access to a comprehensive and well-structured data source, the analyst can confidently design a dashboard that delivers clear, actionable insights into descent profiles, supported by a seamless export-import process, as shown in the steps below:
Data export from SkyBreathe® platform:
- SkyBreathe® collects extensive data on each airline flight’s fuel consumption, emissions, flight path, weather conditions, and fuel-saving maneuvers (such as descent profiles).
- This data is quickly exported via SkyBreathe®’s BI API as a dataset containing the key fuel efficiency metrics the fuel analyst needs.
Data import to Power BI:
- The SkyBreathe® dataset is then easily imported into Power BI, directly via the BI API integration.
- Once imported, the fuel analyst can treat and use all the data in Power BI’s features to create the final descent profile dashboard he wants.
- Power BI will enable the analyst to blend SkyBreathe® data with other external data sources, providing an enhanced performance dashboard.
Thanks to this BI API connectivity solution, the fuel analyst is able to access and use his fuel efficiency software flight data externally, by exporting large datasets from the platform and easily integrating them into his preferred BI tool.
3 key steps of BI API connection
Integrating BI tools with BI APIs in aviation involves secure credentials and data linkages that allow data processing and retrieval of relevant information. These are the 3 key aspects of how the process usually works you should remember:
1. API authentication and access control
Secure authentication is required to ensure that only authorized apps can access data. This often involves tokens or API keys, which can be generated and managed from the platform's dedicated API management page or the developer tools section.
💡 Pro tip : Always store your API keys securely and follow best practices to maintain data privacy and system integrity.
2. Easy integration
Depending on your operational needs, data can be synchronized either in real time or at scheduled intervals. Real-time updates are ideal for critical decision-making, while periodic syncs help reduce system load and align with reporting cycles.
💡 Pro tip : You should choose your type of synchronization according to your fuel efficiency team strategy and needs.
3. Data transformation and data aggregation
Once connected, data may be transformed to match the format and units used by other systems. For example, fuel data can be converted from kilograms to tons for consistency across reports. Regarding data aggregation, it combines metrics from various flights, creating summary views that analysts and managers can easily interpret.
Now that we clearly understand how this process works, let's dive into some of the main benefits of using these tools for airlines.
What are the main benefits of a BI API for airlines' fuel efficiency?
Based on our experience with aviation data and airlines' fuel efficiency, we've identified four key potential benefits of leveraging a BI API in airlines' operations:
1. Capacity for large data extraction
Airlines manage vast quantities of data from every flight, making large-scale data extraction a critical capability for any BI API solution.
Why is it beneficial: Efficient handling of large datasets ensures that no valuable information is left behind, allowing for thorough fuel usage analysis and better decision-making.
2. User-friendliness and fully hosted solutions
Airlines operate in a fast-paced environment where time and resources are critical. BI API solutions should be intuitive and require minimal IT expertise for implementation and maintenance.
Why is it beneficial? This eliminates the need for additional personnal or advanced technical skills, ensuring quick adoption and smoother operations.
3. Flexibility for in-depth analysis
For effective fuel efficiency improvements and operational insights, airlines can create custom views and combine data from different sources and applications in one place.
Why it’s beneficial: This flexibility allows airlines to aggregate multiple data sources and create tailored studies and visualizations, making it easier to explore and analyze information.
4. Automation to reduce errors and teams workload
Automation minimizes manual work and the risk of human errors, enhancing operational efficiency. BI API should support automated data integration and updating processes.
Why is it beneficial? Automation saves time, increases accuracy, and allows flight optimization teams to focus on more fuel-efficient decision-making rather than data handling.
🔎 Pro tip :You can use these four elements to evaluate your softwares' BI APIs. That way you can make sure the connection provided will be helpful for your team and not a burden.
To sum up
Connecting external apps with BI API helps airlines make faster decisions by bringing all data together in one place. By simplifying data access and analysis, airlines make daily operations more efficient, focus more on optimizing their performance, and improve fuel efficiency overall!
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Do you want to take a peek at the new Skybreathe® BI API to see how it could benefit your airline?
Book a free demo with one of our fuel experts!
