Lufthansa Industry Solutions is commissioned by DLR's Quantum Computing Initiative to support research projects
The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Technology. The complex planning processes in aviation are an ideal field of application for quantum computers - from flight planning to crew scheduling and route planning. Over the next two years, Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND) will work with various institutes of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to explore how quantum computers can take airlines to a new level of strategic and tactical planning.
Norderstedt, 21. January 2025 - "The efficient use of resources is essential for the economic success of an airline," says Dr Joseph Doetsch, Quantum Computing Lead at LHIND. "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".
Direct comparison between quantum and conventional algorithms
The DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI) brings together DLR research, start-ups and industry to develop quantum computers and applications. DLR QCI research projects are carried out by DLR institutes in collaboration with industrial partners, who are selected through a competitive process.
As part of the QCI QCMobility project, LHIND has been awarded the two sub-projects 'Strategic Planning Processes' and 'Tactical Planning Processes'. LHIND is working closely with the DLR Institute of Air Transport and the DLR Institute of Quantum Technologies. The two contracts run until December 2026. "We are delighted that DLR has taken us on board in the UN Year of Quantum Technology and 100 years after the formulation of quantum mechanics," said Doetsch, a physicist and quantum computing expert.
"We are delighted that DLR has taken us on board in the UN Year of Quantum Technology and 100 years after the formulation of quantum mechanics."
Dr. Joseph Doetsch Quantum Computing Lead at LHIND
LHIND has won Eurowings as a subcontractor for the Strategic Planning Processes sub-project. The airline will provide data directly from its planning systems. A fleet of more than 100 aircraft at 13 locations makes for a high degree of complexity. Together with Kipu Quantum, a start-up company for application- and hardware-specific quantum computing solutions, LHIND is developing mathematical problem formulations and efficient quantum algorithms that can be evaluated on both conventional computers and quantum hardware.
In the sub-project "Tactical Planning Processes" of the DLR Institute of Air Transport, quantum algorithms will be investigated, which have an advantage over conventional algorithms in the optimisation of flight routes and the short-term allocation of aircraft and crews to the respective flight plans and routes. As a subcontractor, Lufthansa will provide the relevant data from flight operations.
Bringing quantum computing from basic research to everyday operations
For many years, LHIND has been working on how the results of basic research in quantum technology can find their way into everyday operations. The latest example is a joint project launched last year with the Institute for Quantum Physics (IQP) at the University of Hamburg. The aim is to develop quantum algorithms that can be used to optimise airport handling. Even with the so-called "gate assignment problem", conventional computers quickly reach their limits due to the high computing requirements.
About Lufthansa Industry Solutions
Lufthansa Industry Solutions is a service provider for IT consulting and system integration. This Lufthansa subsidiary helps its clients with the digital transformation of their companies. Its customer base includes companies both within and outside the Lufthansa Group, as well as more than 300 companies in various lines of business. The company is based in Norderstedt and employs more than 2,600 members of staff at several branch offices in Germany, Albania, Switzerland and the USA.
