FlySafair, a South African airline, has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its operations and provide an exceptional travel experience.
Faced with the challenges of manual, repetitive work that couldn’t be scaled, FlySafair turned to UiPath’s automation technology to increase internal efficiencies while remaining focused on passengers. Seven automations have been developed by the airline in collaboration with local UiPath Gold Partner Datafinity, transforming critical operational sectors. These automations have resulted in the airline providing an even better passenger experience.
FlySafair receives nine million passengers each year. “Running an airline requires constant innovation, and to me, innovation means doing the basics brilliantly, using technology to ensure people and processes work seamlessly,” says Eswee Vorster, FlySafair’s executive manager and CIO. “This allows us to provide a hassle-free experience for customers.”
Automation for faster flight booking
One of the first automations implemented was intended to help FlySafair customers book their flights faster and take a smooth first step toward their trip, which was frequently a much-anticipated vacation. Using AI-powered automation, the airline has improved its booking process, reducing the time required to manually construct large bookings from 30 minutes to only 5 minutes. Furthermore, streamlining the airline’s billing process for partner flights has resulted in fewer hours of manual work while protecting critical income streams.
FlySafair’s team’s appetite for innovating with automation and AI has been a solid catalyst for adoption. “We avoided talking in jargon or attempting to explain automation using words alone,” Vorster explains on the speed with which teams have embraced the technology. “We built a demonstration, which showed a robot at work in a sandbox environment. My colleagues could see it operating at incredible speed on the screen, using the same interface as a human but so much faster. They were instantly sold on the idea.”
By naming the robots “Hercules”—a” nod to Safair’s history of heavy-lifting cargo planes—FlySafair could also tap into the shared pride and excitement of long-serving employees, helping drive acceptance and adoption of the new technology.
Currently, FlySafair has two unattended intelligent robots working across various automations, adding significant value to the business. And they’re only getting started. The airline is now entering the next stage of its automation journey, with plans to expand into the back office to boost efficiency and help the company scale.
“We’re fortunate to have a culture that values innovation and improvement,” says Vorster. “It’s part of our DNA. When we speak to colleagues about new technology, they know it will improve their work, not threaten their job.”
As South African businesses navigate economic uncertainty and the need to remain competitive and efficient, FlySafair’s experience with using the UiPath Platform demonstrates the power of automation to drive operational excellence and unlock new possibilities for growth.
