From Hype to Impact: How AI and Modularity Are Reshaping Airline Finance

Earlier this summer we held a new edition of the Accelya Financial Summit in Portugal, and one thing stands out clearly: the industry is ready for a smarter, faster, AI-enabled future in finance. 

We welcomed over 30 airline finance leaders, joined by experts from across the ecosystem, including AWS, HSBC, and Travel in Motion. What made this Summit special wasn’t just the content, it was the shared sense of purpose. The conversations weren’t about what’s now, but what’s next. 

AI with a purpose, not just hype.

When we launched FLX AIViator (our AI intelligence layer for Accelya platform and solutions), Accelya had made a conscious decision not to push AI for the sake of it, but to embed it where it delivers real and measurable ROI. As a leader in airline financial solutions, we are committed to ensuring our technology continues to evolve in step with the changing dynamics of the industry—adapting to new business models, embracing emerging technologies, and delivering continuous value to our customers. We’re particularly proud to see how AI is reshaping the financial landscape not as hype, but as a practical driver of ROI. At the Summit, we demonstrated just that, with two powerful use cases in our solutions. 

1. Sales Audit – Now AI-Enabled with FLX AIViator

It was a pleasure to unveil the latest evolution of our Sales Audit solution in front of our customers at the Summit. Now powered by the FLX AIViator intelligence layer, it’s delivering real outcomes for airlines: 

• 60% of missed revenue identified earlier in the audit cycle
• Continuous AI scanning of fares, bookings, taxes, ancillaries
• Hybrid Intelligence: AI automation + expert human oversight
• Hosted on AWS for global scalability and performance

This isn’t just about faster revenue recovery, stronger compliance, and improved cash flow—it’s about delivering continuous value, not in monthly cycles. With Accelya’s new Sales Audit collaboration, working with your agency partners has never been more efficient or effective. 

Read the full announcement here

2. Ask Accelya

Ask Accelya, our new virtual finance assistant, integrated into our Accelya Revenue Accounting solution, is currently in pilot with several airlines. It answers user queries in seconds, 24/7, with deep links into exact documentation and complemented with step-by-step video guides where applicable. The early response based on a test with 19 users was very positive. One user summed it up perfectly: “Felt exactly like talking to ChatGPT – no training needed.”

Recommendation rate from our customers? 100%.

Modularity is here to stay.

Another consistent theme was modularity. Airlines are clearly moving away from monolithic systems. They want flexibility to modernize in phases and realize value at every step. 

Whether it’s Order Accounting, Sales Audit, or overall retailing, the message is clear: modernization must be flexible, not forced. 

What resonated was how modular solutions give airlines the control to scale when ready, with ROI delivered at every phase.

The finance voice is getting louder in retailing.

Perhaps my favourite takeaway was seeing how airline finance leaders are no longer just responding to commercial change – they’re helping shape it.  

The questions we heard weren’t just about compliance or control; they were about enabling agility, supporting offers and orders, and unlocking data for better decisions. 

As emphasized by Travel in Motion, the success of retail transformation hinges on the entire organization—including finance—embracing change.  

With Offers and Orders, all functions become interrelated. The financial voice is critical in shaping the path forward, ensuring agility, alignment, and accountability across the board. 

A personal note

To our customers, speakers, and partners—thank you. Your honesty, curiosity, and challenge keep us sharp. And to my team: thank you for the passion and hard work behind the scenes. You made this summit what it was. 

As we move forward, this is also a time to reflect, to share openly, and to look ahead at our roadmap, our evolving technology, and how we continue fulfilling our customers’ needs. We remain committed to embedding intelligence into the financial fabric of airlines: with purpose, with progress, and always in partnership.  

The future is being built now, and I’m excited we get to shape it together. 

More soon. 
– Philip