Mind the Tech Berlin 2025
"I don't see AI replacing pilots anytime soon"
Speaking at the Mind the Tech Berlin conference, Chen Amram, Director of Infrastructure and Computing at El Al, added: "We have the Israeli flag on our tail, so our website is attacked the most."
"The world of aviation is a highly regulated one, with strict rules and restrictions. So it's not like AI will replace pilots tomorrow, I don't see that happening anytime soon," said Chen Amram, Director of Infrastructure and Computing at El Al, at the Mind the Tech Berlin conference organized by Calcalist and Bank Leumi.
In an interview with Maor Shalom Swisa from Calcalist, Amram explained that El Al currently operates the 787 Dreamliner, one of the most advanced aircraft in the world. "Very soon, passengers will be able to connect Bluetooth headphones to the multimedia system. You can share, for example, what you are watching on Netflix, and we will be able to recommend the most suitable movies at an individual level, while maintaining your privacy," he said.
El Al is also working on expanding internet services on its flights. "A passenger who boards a plane today can work as if they were in the office, sending WhatsApp messages, using emails. Very soon, we will also enable this functionality on flights heading east," Amram revealed.
He addressed the security challenges unique to El Al: "El Al's website is one of the largest e-commerce websites in Israel. Not only are we attacked more than anyone else, but we also carry the Israeli flag on our tail, making us directly identifiable with the State of Israel. Our website is targeted by all kinds of actors, those trying to steal information, those attempting to exploit queries that cost us money, and even those aiming to damage El Al's reputation. Just last night, I worked until one in the morning to stop such an attack."
Regarding the safety of the aircraft itself and concerns that hackers could take control due to internet connectivity, Amram clarified: "The Dreamliner has nearly 1,400 programs that are updated securely and encrypted. Nothing at the flight control level is connected to the Internet. The average passenger cannot access these systems, only our technical crews can. Everything is approved and tested by Boeing."
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According to Amram, El Al uses AI primarily for optimization: "We even track how much water is used in the bathrooms during flights. As a result, we can carry less weight because water is weight," he explained. The airline also employs AI to predict no-shows, optimize fuel usage, and anticipate maintenance needs for aircraft components.
Amram added that El Al is developing smart bots for customer service but admitted: "We face challenges mainly with voice recognition in Hebrew and English. AI recognizes Hebrew well, but when combining the two languages, it struggles. This is an example of something our AI teams work on daily to improve."
