ANA Becomes World’s First Airline to Deploy BlueWX’s Advanced AI Turbulence Prediction Solution
- Joe Breitfeller
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
ANA has announced that they have become the world’s first airline to adopt advanced AI turbulence prediction technology from BlueWX. The prediction model has demonstrated an 86 percent accuracy rate.
On Thursday (August 7. 2025), All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced that they have become the first airline in the world to implement an AI-based turbulence prediction service developed by Tokyo-based BlueWX Company Limited. ANA's adoption of the technology follows several years of extensive testing and validation. The turbulence prediction model, developed using deep learning techniques, and a decade of turbulence data, has demonstrated an 86 percent accuracy rate. Operational trials by 2,500 ANA pilots confirmed the model’s reliability, leading to its formal integration into ANA's weather data infrastructure.
In Thursday’s announcement, ANA’s EVP – Operations, Hiroyuki Kometani, said,
“For airlines, turbulence prediction is a long-standing challenge. At ANA, we have successfully developed this capability in collaboration with BlueWX, utilizing the latest AI and deep learning techniques. The implementation of this new system will ensure a more reliable and comfortable air travel experience for all our passengers.”
Also commenting on the technology collaboration, BlueWX’s CEO, Kaz Watanabe, said,
“As turbulence exacerbates due partly to ongoing global warming and becomes a major safety concern for the air transport industry, we are honored to start providing our leading-edge, AI-powered turbulence prediction for ANA flight operations. ANA's decision to use our service highlights the accuracy and reliability of our service, and we look forward to contributing to the crew and passengers of ANA and other airlines in the world in terms of flight safety and comfort.”
In development since 2019, the turbulence prediction system is part of a joint initiative between ANA and Keio University. Trials began in 2021, with continuous updates improving the model’s accuracy and performance. ANA pilots expressed strong support for its continued use, citing accuracy against flight reports and greater effectiveness in real-world operations when compared to traditional methods.
BlueWX, a joint venture between ANA and Keio University, was founded in July 2023, and specializes in AI-driven weather forecasting solutions. The company plans to expand distribution of their turbulence prediction service to other airlines and distribution partners worldwide, with the goal of improving flight safety and operational efficiency across the aviation industry.
Founded in 1952, ANA has grown to become the largest airline in Japan. The carrier has been a Star Alliance partner since 1999 and currently has joint partnerships with United Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines. Established in 2013, ANA HOLDINGS Inc. (ANA HD) is comprised of 69 companies, including ANA and Peach Aviation, the leading LCC in Japan, and AirJapan. The ANA Group has approximately 43,000 employees and operates a fleet of over 200 aircraft. Additionally, the carrier was the launch customer and is the largest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Family aircraft, and is the only Airbus A380 operator in Japan.
Source: All Nippon Airways (ANA)
