Balaji Bashyam, Chief Strategy Officer, Airlines, Travel & Transportation at TCS
As the ahow, artificial intelligence, connected data and modern retailing were high on the agenda as airlines looked to improve both operations and the passenger experience
In this interview with BTN, Balaji Bashyam, Chief Strategy Officer, Airlines, Travel & Transportation at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), explores how AI could help airlines anticipate and manage disruption, deliver more personalised and connected journeys, and give frontline teams better tools to support passengers when it matters most
He also discusses TCS’ strategic partnership with Amadeus, the industry’s shift towards Offer and Order models, and how platforms such as TCS Al data. Looking ahead, Bashyam considers what the next five years of angers, and how industry leaders can prepare for a more intelligent, connected travel ecosystem
BTN – As the aow, what do you see as the biggest technology-driven shift currently reshaping the relationship between airlines and their passengers?
The biggest shift is the move from fragmented interactions towards a more connected, responsive travel experience. Passengers do not experience a journey as a set of separate airline, airport and ground-transport processes, they want to get to where they need to be, with clear information and support when plans change
AI is becoming the biggest emerging trend enabling this shift. Its value is not simply in automating individual tasks, but in helping airlines connect information across operations, customer service and the wider journey, so they can understand what is happening and act on it more quickly
BTN – TCS talks about creating more connected and seamless travel experiences. What does “connected travel” mean in practical terms for the passenger, particularly when several airlines, airports and transport providers are involved in one journey?
Connected travel means making the complexity behind a journey less visible to the passenger. Today, a customer may interact with an airline, an airport, rail providers, hotels, ground transport and other partners, often with each operating through different systems and processes. A connected journey brings the relevant information and actions together around the customer’s actual needs
This becomes especially important when plans do not go as expected. Airlines are already managing highly complex flight networks, but extending responsibility beyond the airport introduces additional considerations, such as hotel rooms, rail, and local transport. With the technology now available, the ecosystem can coordinate more effectively, but the processes and incentives for participants must be thought through carefully
BTN – Flight disruption remains one of the biggest causes of passenger frustration. How can artificial intelligence help airlines identify problems earlier and respond before disruption begins to significantly affect the customer?
AI can help airlines move more quickly from identifying issues to responding in a relevant way. It can help airlines understand what information each passenger needs, when they need it, and how best to reach them, whether they are still preparing to travel, already at the airport or transferring through it
BTN – During major disruption, passengers often receive conflicting or delayed information. How can airlines create a single, reliable and real-time view of the journey across operational teams, customer service channels and passenger applications?
The starting point is to address fragmented data and systems. Across al systems added over time without a complete view of how data will be connected and used. Unless the information is brought together with a clear operational or customer-experience outcome in mind, there will continue to be gaps between what different teams and the passenger can see
Once this foundation is in place, airlines can make information more actionable across operational teams, customer-service channels, and passenger communications. The result should be a more consistent view of the journey, enabling teams to respond more quickly and passengers to receive clearer updates
BTN – How far can AI automate processes such as rebooking, compensation, alternative travel arrangements and passenger communications without removing the human judgement and empathy customers expect?
AI can take away much of the complexity and volume involved in disruption management, helping service teams organise information, identify relevant options, and manage a high number of passenger requests more efficiently
However, aions where human judgement remains essential. Our view is that AI should empower people, not remove them from important decisions. By reducing the burden of repetitive information gathering and coordination, AI enables employees to focus their expertise where human insight, judgement and empathy matter most
BTN – TCS has entered a strategic partnership with Amadeus to accelerate modern airline retailing and servicing. What does this partnership allow the two organisations to deliver that airlines may have struggled to achieve through traditional systems?
Our partnership brings together Amadeus’ travel technology capabilities with TCS’ expertise in AI, cloud, data, analytics and platform engineering. The initial focus of our partnership is on the development of the Service Center user interface for Amadeus Nevio, supporting a modern approach to managing offers, orders and customer interactions
The partnership also allows us to explore practical AI-enabled servicing capabilities. TCS has demonstrated with Amadeus how agentic AI could support airline service teams during disruption, helping agents manage high volumes of passenger requests more efficiently. More broadly, this is about helping airlines move away from fragmented legacy environments towards modern retailing and servicing capabilities that can be more connected, responsive, and customer-centric
BTN – The industry is moving from conventional booking records towards an Offer and Order model. How will this change the way airlines create, sell and service journeys?
An Offer and Order model provides the foundation for airlines to manage the customer journey in a more connected way. Rather than relying on separate, legacy records and processes, airlines can bring together the offer presented to the customer and the subsequent servicing of that journey through a more unified lifecycle
This creates an opportunity to improve how journeys are sold and serviced, particularly as customers’ requirements change. It can enable more consistent information for airline teams and passengers, while giving airlines greater flexibility to manage offers, orders and servicing through modern, cloud-native capabilities
BTN – How can modern airline retailing move beyond simply selling additional products and instead provide genuinely useful, personalised offers at the right point in the customer journey
Personalisation must be useful to the customer and appropriate to the moment in their journey. Data and AI can help airlines identify what different customers need and communicate in a more relevant way. This can help airlines make offers and services more relevant to a customer’s journey stage and context, rather than treating retailing solely as an opportunity to sell additional products, making interactions more timely, practical and customer focused
BTN – TCS and Amadeus are developing AI-enabled capabilities for the Amadeus Nevio Service Center. How could this technology change the experience for both customer service agents and passengers during complex servicing situations?
The Amadeus Nevio Service Center is being developed as a modern, cloud-native SaaS interface for airline customer-service agents, supporting offer and order lifecycle management. AI-enabled workflows and guided servicing can help agents access relevant information more efficiently during complex servicing situations
The intended benefits include improving first-contact resolution, reducing average handling time, and lowering cost to serve, while enabling intelligent upselling and personalisation. For passengers, the intended outcome is clearer, more timely and more consistent assistance, while keeping the agent in control of decisions and the customer interaction
BTN – TCS Al data and decision-making. What benefits can airlines achieve by replacing fragmented operational information with a unified, connected view?
TCS Armation into one connected, real-time view. Rather than teams working across separate systems, it gives them a clearer picture of what is happening across the operation and helps them spot potential issues earlier, such as delayed flights, missed connections, or maintenance needs
This can help airlines respond faster when things do not go to plan. For example, Aaircraft turnaround activity, while Smart Maintenance is designed to flag maintenance needs earlier and help reduce aircraft-on-ground incidents. Its connected-journey capabilities can also help frontline teams access relevant passenger information, so they can provide more timely and personalised support
BTN – Airlines have invested heavily in loyalty programmes, but passengers increasingly expect recognition and personalisation throughout the entire journey. How can technology help airlines build loyalty through service rather than relying primarily on points and rewards?
Customer loyalty is shaped significantly by how an airline responds when things do not go to plan. Customers understand that disruption can happen; the lasting impression often comes from whether they feel cared for, informed and supported throughout the recovery process
Technology can help airlines deliver that service at scale by understanding different customer circumstances and providing the right information or options at the right time. When customers receive clear, relevant assistance rather than having to search for answers or stand in queues, it can strengthen trust in the airline beyond the traditional points-and-rewards model
BTN – Airlines collect enormous quantities of passenger and operational data. How can they use that information to provide more personalised services while maintaining transparency, security and passenger trust?
Airlines and airports must begin with a clear outcome for the data they collect, whether that is improving operational efficiency or delivering a better customer experience. Collecting data without connecting it to a tangible purpose can create gaps in how it is used and limit the value it can provide to employees and passengers
Trust is also essential. Organisations across the ecosystem can be cautious about sharing data, including concerns around commercial sensitivity and responsibility when things go wrong. Progress will require the right governance, limitations and incentives, alongside a clear demonstration of the value created for the passenger and for each participant in the ecosystem
BTN – Many airlines are experimenting with generative and agentic AI. Where are you already seeing measurable benefits, and what must happen before these technologies can be deployed safely at enterprise scale?
We are seeing practical opportunities for AI in areas including MRO, airside operations, cargo, commercial aentify defects earlier, make operational information more usable and help organisations respond faster when plans change
BTN – Ao include airports, rail services, hotels, ground transportation and payment providers. What technology foundations are needed to create a genuinely integrated travel ecosystem?
A genuinely integrated ecosystem needs connected data and interoperable processes across the organisations involved in the journey. Airlines, airports and air traffic control are deeply interdependent, yet have historically operated through separate systems and perspectives. The foundations need to enable decisions that account for the wider network, not simply one organisation’s local operation
The industry must also address practical questions around data sharing, accountability, and incentives. The objective is to create a journey in which providers can work together more effectively, without transferring the complexity of those relationships to the customer
BTN – Looking ahead to the next five years, which developments do you believe will have the greatest effect on airline operations and the passenger experience, and how should a
Over the next several years, we expect the impact of AI to become much more visible across a support maintenance and engineering, make airport operations more agile, and help employees access the right information in a form that is easier to use. Physical AI and robotics also have potential in areas involving repetitive or physically demanding tasks, including inspection, baggage, and cargo handling
Arove, then arrange technology around those priorities. The goal is to harness AI, so passengers experience a more seamless journey, while employees are better equipped to make the right decisions
Interview by Sid Thaker
