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Aer Lingus is rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform to streamline its aircraft maintenance planning.
AISmartPlan, an AI platform developed by Sydney-based Redback Software, provides an automated system to consolidate key operational data such as flight schedules, aircraft availability and workforce constraints to generate optimized maintenance plans. The startup joined the International Airlines Group’s (IAG) IAGi accelerator program in 2025, through which it began working with Aer Lingus to test the technology in a live airline environment.
Aer Lingus said that during this three-month trial period, AISmartPlan “transformed its platform from proof of concept into a working solution.” The airline worked with the startup to refine the platform’s visual planning tools, automation logic and usability to tailor it to aviation maintenance operations.
AISmartPlan automatically matches maintenance technicians to specific aircraft, offering drag-and-drop visualization tools that help teams understand and adapt maintenance plans. It includes features such as auto-scheduling to match task forecasts to ground time and resources; a chat feature to connect planners and technicians; and an AI assistant that can answer questions, generate reports and perform other tasks. The platform can also integrate with an airline’s existing maintenance and engineering software.
“The way maintenance tasks were allocated to our engineers was previously highly manual and time-consuming, which limited how far ahead we could plan,” said Lucas De Almedia Ramos Faria, maintenance production planning manager at Aer Lingus. “This partnership marks a fundamental change in how we plan and optimize maintenance. What used to take hours each day can now be done in minutes, and with far greater confidence in the outcome.”
Following the successful trial, Aer Lingus has signed a multiyear commercial agreement with AISmartPlan. IAG says there is potential to now scale the technology across its other airlines.
In 2025, IAG developed and deployed its own AI-powered tool to determine the most effective engine maintenance schedules. Aer Lingus was the first airline to adopt the technology, which utilizes algorithms to assess millions of different scenarios and suggest the most efficient maintenance program for a specific engine.
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