Episode 54

What happens when a pilot, an airline operator, and a strategist decide to reimagine aviation through the lens of data? In this episode, I sit down with Courtney Miller, the mind behind Visual Approach Analytics, to explore how storytelling, visualisation, and forecasting are reshaping the way airlines make decisions.

What we discussed:

•  Courtney’s journey into aviation: from the cockpit to Bombardier and DHL, and eventually into analytics.
•  Why he believes the industry was “oddly slow” to recognize the value of aviation analytics.
•  Lessons from DHL’s cargo forecasting (yes, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day were the most stressful!) and how they differ from passenger airline planning.
•  The art of turning complex aviation data into accessible intelligence.
•  Fleet planning quirks: Allegiant’s unique approach, Akasa’s Boeing delivery challenges, SpiceJet’s survival instincts, and what Indian carriers like Air India and IndiGo should be doing differently.
•  The profitability puzzle: India’s booming demand versus chronic losses—what data signals separate hype from traction.
•  Are Indian airlines over-ordering? Courtney breaks down the metrics that reveal overcapacity, underutilization, and systemic risk.
•  India’s ambition to be a global hub: should carriers double down on regional connectivity, long-haul expansion, or partnerships?
•  Air India’s post-privatization struggles and what it could learn from South Korea’s model of global talent and best practices.
•  Disruptive shifts in aviation—from AI and machine learning to evolving fleet strategies—and what’s hype versus reality.
•  The next frontier for aviation analytics, misunderstood metrics like load factors and yields, and Courtney’s favorite airline innovation he’d copy worldwide.

Along the way, expect witty detours (including a Ryanair comparison), sharp insights on pricing (“AI doesn’t always mean personalized pricing”), and a candid look at how data has evolved in aviation decision-making over the past five years.

The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast apps.