Lufthansa to Investigate Quantum Use Cases for Airline OperationsLufthansa to Investigate Quantum Use Cases for Airline Operations

The German Aerospace Center's (DLR) Quantum Computing Initiative (QCI) has commissioned Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND) to investigate the application of quantum computing to aviation operations.

This initiative, coinciding with the United Nation declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Technology, aims to target use cases including route planning and crew scheduling.

“The efficient use of resources is essential for the economic success of an airline,” said LHIND quantum computing lead Joseph Doetsch.

“This applies to long-term considerations, such as the annual flight schedule, as well as to the challenges of day-to-day operations, such as when flight routes have to be changed at short notice due to airspace closures or bad weather, or when a crew member is unable to work due to illness. Not to mention compliance with mandatory maintenance intervals.”

Classical computing methods can struggle with the complexity and scale of these problems, but quantum computing offers a promising alternative.

DLR has awarded Lufthansa two quantum sub-projects, focusing on strategic and tactical planning processes respectively.

The “Strategic Planning Processes” sub-project is for LHIND to collaborate with the DLR Institute of Air Transport and the DLR Institute of Quantum Technologies. Low-cost carrier Eurowings is contributing data from its planning systems, which involve a fleet of more than 100 aircraft at 13 locations, providing a complex testbed for quantum algorithms.

Related:Quantum Capabilities Forecast to Break Barriers in 2025

The tactical planning process sub-project aims to optimize flight routes and the short-term allocation of aircraft and crews, with Lufthansa providing real-world data from its flight operations.

LHIND is working with quantum startup Kipu Quantum to develop mathematical problem formulations and efficient quantum algorithms. The algorithms are designed to be evaluated on both classical computers and quantum hardware, allowing for a direct comparison of performance against traditional methods.

The project is slated to run until December 2026.

LHIND already has a project underway with the University of Hamburg to optimize airport handling using quantum algorithms. Challenges like gate assignments, which can overwhelm classical computers due to high computing requirements, stand to benefit from quantum solutions.