Flight Data Transparency through Blockchain
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Aviation · Organisation: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) mit Thales; Lufthansa Industry Solutions · Maturity level: Pilot
Blockchain-based transparency for flight data creates a shared, immutable data pool for airlines, airports, authorities and passengers: flight records, delay causes, maintenance histories and operating times become traceable and tamper-proof. LHIND (Lufthansa Industry Solutions) developed solutions for blockchain-based aviation data.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence medium
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Blockchain-secured flight data makes flight operations more transparent and passenger rights easier to enforce. LHIND (Lufthansa Industry Solutions) and Air France-KLM piloted blockchain-based data solutions.
The EU-261 issue: Airlines often dispute causes of delays (technical defect vs. extraordinary circumstances) to avoid compensation payments. Flight data recorded on the blockchain is immutable — airlines cannot retrospectively alter the cause of delay. Further use cases: maintenance histories (the GE Aerospace model Ancestry.com for Jet Engines is blockchain-based); slot coordination at airports (IATA slot system on blockchain); cargo tracking for air freight.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Airlines and airports can use blockchain-secured flight data to automatically document EU-261 compliance and resolve passenger rights claims immediately and fairly.
B2C — consumers perspective
Passengers could benefit from more accurate and transparent information about flight status and causes of delays. The improved data quality could lead to more punctual flights and better customer information.
Employees perspective
Staff in flight planning and operations centres would have access to consistent and up-to-date data from a central source. This would simplify their daily work and enable them to focus on strategic decisions rather than data reconciliation.
Benefits
General
- Uniform data standards reduce communication errors between different aviation organisations.
- Automatic data validation through smart contracts minimises manual verification efforts.
- Immutable data storage improves compliance with regulatory requirements.
B2B — organisations
- Reduced operating costs through fewer manual data reconciliations and error corrections between partner systems.
B2C — consumers
- Passengers receive more reliable information about flight status and delays.
Employees
- Staff can focus on strategic tasks instead of spending time on repetitive data entry.
Challenges
General
- Harmonising various data formats and standards between international aviation organisations requires extensive coordination.
- Integrating the blockchain solution into existing critical air traffic control systems carries technical and security-related risks.
B2B — organisations
- High initial investments for blockchain infrastructure and staff training could disadvantage smaller companies.
Employees
- Staff require extensive training in handling the new blockchain technology and the changed workflows.
Technology foundation
A blockchain technology would store all flight data in an immutable digital register shared by various aviation stakeholders. This technology ensures that data cannot be altered retrospectively and that all parties have the same current information.
Tags
Data integrity, Transparency, Aviation, Interoperability, Regulatory compliance