When most people think of aviation, they visualize soaring planes and bustling airports. However, Karthik Srinivasan is busy reimagining what it means to keep those planes flying. As the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) behind WingWork, he is on a quest to swap out the old, clunky maintenance systems for sleek, efficient solutions.
With a background at tech giants like Facebook and Rubrik, Srinivasan is ready to move aircraft maintenance from the past into the bright, data-dependent future.
Karthik’s Journey to WingWork
Srinivasan’s path to WingWork began in the halls of tech giants. At Facebook, he led privacy initiatives as a technical lead in the ads measurement organization. His work instrumentally helped the company meet global regulatory standards. Before that, at Rubrik, the rising tech star worked on building and releasing pipelines, helping the company expand its product offerings and engineering team.
These experiences in high-stakes tech companies primed Karthik Srinivasan for his next challenge. Recognizing the potential for advancement in aviation maintenance, he co-founded WingWork in early 2023. His goal was simple — creating a platform to streamline maintenance processes and empower mechanics with new tools.
Challenges Encountered by WingWork
One of the significant challenges WingWork has encountered is how the aviation industry, while highly data-dependent, is rarely data-driven. Many operators face difficulties in onboarding existing data, often aware of the “garbage in, garbage out” dilemma when transitioning between digital systems. Karthik Srinivasan has tackled this issue by implementing an extensive data audit process to ensure only high-quality data enters the system.
However, looking ahead, Karthik plans to automate this process using AI-assisted data auditing, which will further enhance the accuracy and reliability of the data onboarded into WingWork’s platform. This innovation will help operators avoid costly errors and ensure the data they rely on is clean and actionable.
The aviation industry has historically been paper-driven, with aircraft accumulating decades’ worth of hard-copy maintenance data spanning thousands of pages. Karthik is set to revolutionize this cumbersome process by developing AI-augmented data retrieval and search models, using technologies like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to make vast amounts of information easily accessible.
WingWork aims to have this advanced capability in place by early 2025, empowering mechanics and operators to access critical data at their fingertips. Additionally, the team is focused on training custom AI models to digitize and make extensive aircraft maintenance knowledge available, unlocking a new level of efficiency in the field.
How WingWork is Transforming Aircraft Upkeep
The cloud-based software targets the inefficiencies plaguing aircraft maintenance. The platform consolidates critical workflows into a single, intuitive interface. It covers maintenance tracking, work orders, and logbook management, among other things – all designed to minimize time spent on administrative tasks.
Wingwork allows operators to focus on what matters most: maintaining aircraft in prime condition. The company reduces the risk of human error and improves overall maintenance efficiency by digitizing and enhancing these processes. The result is decreased aircraft downtime and improved operational reliability.
Building a Network of Industry Advisors
Karthik Srinivasan understands that true progress comes from collaboration. He assembled a team of over 50 industry advisors, including maintenance personnel and seasoned aviation experts. This network provides invaluable feedback, shaping WingWork into a tool that addresses real-world challenges aircraft mechanics face.
The collaborative strategy extends beyond the development phase. WingWork also actively incorporates user feedback into its platform, creating a dynamic solution that meets the industry’s needs. This responsiveness to user input sets WingWork apart in a field often resistant to change.
At the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) Conference, Karthik Srinivasan led WingWork’s successful presentation to a wide audience of aviation professionals. With over 11,000 member companies, NBAA is one of the most prestigious platforms in the industry, offering unparalleled access to decision-makers and operators. Under Karthik’s leadership, WingWork’s booth highlighted the company’s innovative platform, sparking significant interest among attendees looking for advanced solutions to streamline their operations. This exposure not only showcased Karthik’s vision for modernizing aviation maintenance but also opened doors for new partnerships, solidifying WingWork’s role as a key player in the industry’s future.
Measurable Success and Customer Impact
WingWork’s perspective on aircraft maintenance has yielded tangible results for its clients. One major airline reported significantly reducing maintenance-related delays after implementing WingWork’s platform, resulting in significant cost savings and improved customer satisfaction. The airline’s Chief Maintenance Officer stated, “WingWork has revolutionized our maintenance processes, allowing us to predict and prevent issues before they cause disruptions.”
Another success story comes from a company that is on a mission to lessen its waste. This improvement translated to an estimated annual savings in operational costs.
“Feedback is not just heard – it is implemented. WingWork gives us genuine hope as we embark on our journey to go fully paperless.” – shares Mike Eddy of Stein’s Aircraft Services.
“After using Flightdocs, CAMP, and Cams, WingWork stands out with its intuitive design, significantly reducing the number of pages and clicks to get the job done,” raves another client who is a Director of Maintenance and Part 135 Operator in Pennsylvania.
Bringing Aviation Maintenance into the 21st Century
Furthermore, the company’s cloud-based architecture departs from traditional maintenance software. It eliminates the need for on-premises installations and allows access from any internet-connected device. This flexibility empowers mechanics to work efficiently in the hangar or on the tarmac.
The cloud-based model also facilitates real-time updates and seamless data synchronization across an organization. It enables operators to maintain a single source of truth for maintenance records, improving communication and decision-making throughout the maintenance process.
Roadmap to AI Integration and Emerging Technologies
While WingWork’s vision for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered functionality and integration with emerging technologies is ambitious, the company has already made significant strides towards these goals.
Currently, WingWork is in the testing phase of its AI-driven predictive maintenance module, with plans for a full rollout soon. This module uses machine learning algorithms to analyze historical maintenance data and predict potential issues before they occur, potentially reducing unscheduled maintenance.
Empowering Operators with Predictive Insights
Notably, WingWork goes beyond simple record-keeping. The platform uses the power of data analytics to provide actionable insights. This way, operators forecast maintenance events and associated costs more accurately.
Additionally, this predictive capability allows for proactive maintenance planning, reducing unexpected downtime and optimizing resource allocation. Operators can make more informed decisions about fleet management, parts inventory, and maintenance schedules, leading to significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency.
Karthik’s Vision for Aviation Technology
Karthik Srinivasan’s leadership philosophy is rooted in transparency and authenticity — values he cultivated as a Senior Engineer at Rubrik, a unicorn startup that recently went public.
Drawing from his experience in high-growth environments, Karthik believes that inspiring a culture where team members can bring their true selves to work is essential for building a strong and cohesive team. This has allowed him to assemble a highly capable engineering team at WingWork, whose contributions have been critical to the company’s success. By emphasizing open communication and trust, Karthik has empowered his team to take ownership of their work, driving innovation and excellence in all of WingWork’s achievements.
Karthik Srinivasan and his team have ambitious plans for the future. They aim to introduce AI-powered functionality to improve the platform’s predictive capabilities. These will help operators transition from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies, fundamentally changing how aircraft are maintained. Karthik Srinivasan and his team have ambitious plans for the future. They aim to introduce AI-powered functionality to improve the platform’s predictive capabilities, such as using AI to determine parts lead time, optimize maintenance packages to increase availability, and reduce the cost of maintaining an aircraft.
By leveraging AI, operators can gain real-time insights into their aircraft’s health, enabling them to make informed decisions and optimize their maintenance schedules. This can result in significant cost savings, improved aircraft availability, and enhanced safety. These advancements will help operators transition from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies, fundamentally changing how aircraft are maintained.
The team also plans to expand WingWork’s integration capabilities, creating a more connected ecosystem for aviation maintenance. This includes developing interfaces with other industry software and exploring the potential of emerging technologies like augmented reality for maintenance procedures.
Karthik Srinivasan’s entrepreneurial journey with WingWork proves that fresh perspectives can change established industries. With a cloud-based platform that promises to simplify the lives of mechanics, he is proving that the best way to take off is to leave the baggage of tradition behind.
Photo courtesy Karthik Srinivasan
