TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s transportation ministry is turning to artificial intelligence and big data to enhance aviation safety as the country’s air travel sector rebounds from the 2019 COVID pandemic.

Passenger traffic from January to September this year reached 42.86 million, nearly 96% of pre-pandemic levels, with weekly flights approaching 2,863. The sector is expected to surpass 2019 levels by year-end, according to Cathay Securities.

In response, Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) on Wednesday outlined three key priorities: reinforcing the regulatory framework, monitoring airlines’ operational performance, and improving early warning capabilities. He said that aviation safety is both an industry responsibility and a national concern, given Taiwan’s role as a hub connecting Northeast and Southeast Asia, according to CNA.

In line with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, Taiwan plans to strengthen oversight, track airline safety performance, and use AI and big data to enhance risk prediction, Chen said.

An air safety summit held in Taiwan on Wednesday brought together experts from the International Air Transport Association, Flight Safety Foundation, Airbus, Boeing, Beams, and former Eva Air pilots. Discussions focused on runway excursion prevention, turbulence management, runway conflict mitigation, and AI-driven safety management.

AI is being applied across airport and flight operations. At airports, AI technologies accelerate passenger clearance and help prevent carry-on baggage overload, according to Sinotrade.

Facial and iris recognition systems improve queue management, while AI-enabled boarding gate cameras monitor baggage volume and assist staff in preventing storage shortages. In-flight, AI supports route optimization and safer taxiing and landing procedures.