Emirates Airlines, Oxford University partner to study customer service enhancements

A new partnership between Emirates Airlines and Oxford University will evaluate new ways to predict demand as well as to optimize seating options across Emirates' global network.

The five-year collaboration will employ a group of top scientists, engineers, social scientists and domain experts from the airline and the university.

Work will be conducted at the newly launched Oxford-Emirates Data Science Lab, which is located at the Oxford Centre for Information (OCI). As work continues, the team will work toward enhancing customer service through more personalized services.

The team will use data science, machine learning, mathematics and big data.

"In the age of the digital economy, we have witnessed first-hand how technology-based innovation can transform brands and disrupt entire industries by placing the customer at the heart of the business,” Emirates President Tim Clark said. “The Oxford-Emirates Data Science Lab will provide us with a best-in-class dedicated team who can test and develop new business solutions using big data and real-time analytics, helping to the transform the group into a customer-centric, travel experience company."