International Airlines Group runs British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling under one roof, which turns every AI program into a question of where to begin. Ben Dias, IAG’s chief AI scientist, begins with one airline.
He joins Shift Data + AI Summit EuropeOctober 6, 2026, in London. Ahead of the Summit, he shared how IAG sequences AI across the Group and where he sees the largest gains.
One Airline, Then the Group
Skift: What is the single most important factor for successfully scaling AI in travel operations across European markets?
Ben: The single most important factor is starting with a real business problem and proving value before scaling. At IAG, we’ve found it’s far more effective to begin with one airline, establish a baseline, learn what works, and then expand across the Group. Trying to build the full solution from day one often slows progress. By scaling incrementally, you generate value faster and gain insights that improve the solution as it grows.
Skift: How has the EU AI Act, GDPR, or other European regulation changed how you approach AI deployment?
Ben: Regulation has reinforced the importance of governance from the start. With initiatives such as our AI Creative Studio, legal compliance, intellectual property considerations and responsible AI governance were built into the design process from day one. That approach gives us confidence to scale successful use cases across multiple markets and brands.
AI in the Hands of Experts
Skift: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for AI to impact business outcomes in travel?
Ben: The biggest opportunities are where AI helps experts make better decisions in highly complex environments. In aviation, that could mean optimising maintenance planning, improving operational resilience or helping teams evaluate millions of potential scenarios faster than would otherwise be possible. The real value isn’t replacing human expertise. It’s combining that expertise with AI to help people make better decisions, faster and with greater confidence.
Where This Leaves Operators
- Rollout sequencing: Ben starts with one airline and a baseline before expanding. For multi-brand groups, the first unit and its baseline become the reference point for every brand that follows.
- Build scope: He says building the full solution from day one often slows progress. Operators funding AI programs are trading scope against how quickly the first value shows up.
- Governance timing: At IAG’s AI Creative Studio, legal compliance, intellectual property and responsible AI governance were part of the design from the start. With the EU AI Act in force, Ben ties early governance directly to the ability to scale across markets.
- Where to deploy: Ben points AI toward complex decisions made by experts, such as maintenance planning and operational resilience. That puts the first deployments next to specialist teams rather than replacing them.
Hear Ben Dias live at Skift Data + AI Summit Europe, October 6 in London. The full day lineup includes Filip Filipov of OAG, Peer Bueller of KAYAK, Sheena Varma of Amex GBT, and Nicolas Maynard of Accor, among others.
Source: skift.com
