Torsten Wingenter: «Hyperloop will not be a real competition for the aircraft industry»

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Torsten Wingenter: «Hyperloop will not be a real competition for the aircraft industry»



The director of Digital Innovation of Lufthansa claims the innovative role of the aerospace industry


Chatbots, virtual reality, WiFi ... Airplanes are adapted to consumer technology and the industry claims its innovative role in the transport sector: "It seems that autonomous cars is something very new and aircraft have many years with autopilots ", Says Torsten Wingenter, director of Digital Innovation at Lufthansa Group.

- What are the biggest innovations in airplanes?

-On the one hand we have software-type innovations, with greater technological development of our ships, and on the other, gadget-type innovations such as 'wearables' for the use of passengers as virtual reality glasses for people on board. Apart, there is WiFi on the planes.

- How much will it cost for all airplanes to have WiFi connection like any other service?

-We offer this service in all our inter-European and European flights, but we also have others that go further as an agreement with Apple that allows passengers with Apple Watch to see details of the flight on their watch, such as the speed of the plane or the distance left to arrive. At the moment, there are different packages for WiFi, but the service with Apple is free. We offer WiFi on the plane from $ 2.99 to our passengers.

- Why are they more innovative than competitors?

-We have spent more years trying to innovate at all costs. We have experience, everything is based on that. Virtual reality, WiFi or Apple Watch is an example of this. Now we also work on a voice recognition program to test other experiences with passengers.

- There is a lot of talk lately about connected and autonomous cars. Will it be the same with airplanes?

-The interesting part is that people do not realize that in the aeronautical industry we have been working with autopilots for many years. We have this experience for a long time and now it seems that it is something typical of cars. It is important to have a person aware of how the flight is going and to take care of everything that may happen, but the planes have been autonomous for a long time.

«The airplanes are not so innovative because it is difficult to implement the news 10 or 20 years»


- What technologies are you working on?

-The objective is the passengers. That's why we are developing chatbots with Facebook Messenger with an assistant that answers any questions that may arise before and after the flight. You can ask what is the best price to go to Barcelona and it tells you at once. It is a very interesting technology because it gives a very good service to the client and is another way to innovate for the company. The goal is to make everything easier for everyone.

- Is the plane the most innovative means of transport?

-Safety is a key aspect, and it is the safest means, that of course. That's why innovations cost to implant 10 or 20 years, not like in cars that is much more instantaneous. The comparison is difficult, but there are many ideas in the air that will be implemented little by little and the industry will be very different in the future.

- Hyperloop is a threat to the aircraft industry?

-Not really. It is a new development and that is always good because they bring changes in all industries. In addition, Hyperloop is designed for very long distances or between nearby cities, but, for example, it can not cross the Pacific, so it does not seem like a real competition.

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