An Air Europa airplane in flight against a cloudy sky.

Air Europa: Industry demand for connected aviation ground operations

Airlines are calling on mobile operators to enable reliable, prioritised connectivity for time-critical airport and turnaround operations.

About enterprise API demands

Across global aviation, operational efficiency and punctuality increasingly depend on real-time data exchange. From maintenance logs to flight documentation and crew updates, airlines rely on seamless connectivity during critical ground phases such as arrival, turnaround, and departure preparation.

Air Europa, a leader in aviation digital transformation, is modernising operations through a fully digital Electronic Technical Log (ETL) system across its fleet. However, the success of these systems depends on predictable, high-performance connectivity in often congested airport environments.

Today’s mobile networks can be inconsistent at gates and aprons, particularly during peak demand when passengers reconnect after landing. This creates operational bottlenecks that can delay departures and impact airline performance.

To address this, Air Europa is calling on mobile operators to expose standardised Network APIs particularly Quality on Demand aligned with GSMA Open Gateway. These APIs would enable dynamic prioritisation of operational traffic, ensuring reliable, low-latency connectivity for mission-critical workflows. The message is clear: connectivity is no longer a support function, it is core operational infrastructure. Through collaboration, the mobile ecosystem can help airlines unlock more efficient, resilient, and fully digital operations.

Problem

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Unpredictable mobile network performance at airports creates bottlenecks during aircraft turnaround, impacting operational efficiency and punctuality.

Solution

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Standardised, API-driven connectivity enables prioritised, predictable performance for time-critical aviation data flows.

API service

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Quality on Demand (QoD) API with support for traffic prioritisation, dynamic resource allocation, and operational traffic separation.

Impact

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Faster aircraft turnaround, improved on-time performance, enhanced safety, reduced operational costs, and a new enterprise opportunity for mobile operators in aviation.

More information

What is the Air Europa market demand statement?

Air Europa is calling on mobile operators to enable GSMA Open Gateway-aligned APIs, particularly QoD, to support reliable, prioritised connectivity for digital aviation operations.

Why should mobile operators act now?

Airlines are rapidly digitising operations, with ETL and real-time data workflows becoming critical. Even small delays have significant cost impact, making reliable connectivity essential.

How does GSMA Fusion help?

GSMA Fusion and Open Gateway provide a standardised framework for exposing network capabilities, enabling interoperability across operators, airports, and global markets.

Partners

This initiative is supported by:

Download the full Statement of Requirements

Air Europa Statement of Requirements