- Alaska Airlines is piloting GenAI and agentic AI to streamline ramp operations, says Bernadette Berger.
- Focus areas include digital automation, workforce augmentation, predictive maintenance and safety improvements.
- The airline frames this as an operational and competitive priority, balancing human oversight with autonomous agents.
Inside Alaska Airlines’ Push to Automate Ramp Operations
In a video interview with Future Travel Experience, Bernadette Berger, Alaska Airlines’ Director of Innovation, outlined how the carrier is combining GenAI, agentic AI and broader digital automation to reimagine ramp operations. Berger framed the programme as practical, safety-focused and designed to boost both throughput and resilience on the ground.
What the airline is testing
Berger described a layered approach: using generative AI to accelerate decision-support and communications; agentic AI to coordinate routine tasks across systems; and automation to reduce low-value manual work on the ramp. Early pilots target baggage handling, turnaround sequencing and predictive equipment maintenance, where sensors and data analytics can reduce delays and mechanical surprises.
Agentic AI and GenAI — what they bring
Agentic AI functions as autonomous coordinators: lightweight software agents that can propose and, with human sign-off, execute steps such as rerouting ground services or reprioritising aircraft checks. GenAI is used to synthesize operational data, produce quick incident summaries for crews, and speed up training content creation for frontline staff. Together, these capabilities aim to compress decision cycles while keeping humans in a loop for safety-critical judgments.
Operational impact and benefits
Alaska expects benefits across three areas: faster turnarounds, fewer equipment failures due to predictive maintenance, and improved visibility into complex ramp workflows. Berger emphasised measurable KPIs in pilot programmes — on-time departures, reduced ramp delays and lower maintenance-related cancellations — as the bar for scaling solutions.
Risks, human factors and governance
Deployment is not just technical. Berger highlighted the need for clear human oversight, explainability of AI recommendations, and rigorous safety validation. Workforce engagement and retraining are central: automation is positioned to augment staff rather than replace them, shifting humans into supervisory and exception-management roles.
Next steps
Alaska plans iterative scaling: expand pilots that demonstrate ROI and safety, integrate systems with legacy operational platforms, and continue partnerships with technology vendors. The airline’s strategy stresses rapid experimentation, measurable outcomes and conservative governance to ensure reliability.
Why it matters
Alaska’s strategy exemplifies how airlines can apply GenAI and agentic automation pragmatically — focusing on narrow, high-impact use cases first. For competitors, Berger’s remarks signal both opportunity and urgency: modernising ramp operations with AI can be a decisive operational advantage.
Watch the full interview with Bernadette Berger on Future Travel Experience for deeper details on pilots and timelines.
Image Referance: https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2026/01/inside-alaska-airlines-strategy-to-revolutionise-ramp-operations-and-leverage-genai-agentic-ai-automation-and-much-more/