Aviation Runs on Speech. Almost None of It Becomes Data w/ Amir Haramaty

In aviation, the majority of operational intelligence lives in speech, but most of it is uncaptured or unstructured. It exists in radio calls, verbal handoffs, inspections, checklists, maintenance conversations, and moment-to-moment judgments made on the ground and in the air. That information moves fast, across teams and borders, yet rarely becomes data that systems can reliably use. That creates a quiet but persistent gap. Aviation depends on precision and standardization, yet the human layer it runs on is anything but uniform. Accents, regional language differences, local jargon, and noisy environments all sit between what’s said and what’s actually understood. And while aviation vocabulary may be limited, it has to be interpreted perfectly, every time. When it isn’t, friction shows up in safety processes, operational efficiency, compliance, and customer experience. The industry was never designed to systematically capture spoken work on a global scale. People don’t like entering data, especially in time-critical environments, so critical information is often late, partial, or lost altogether. What gets recorded rarely reflects what actually happened in the moment. That’s where aiOla comes in. The company helps aviation organizations turn natural speech into accurate, structured data across languages, accents, and environments (without forcing people to change how they work). With a mission to “flatten the world” and make aviation more connected and reliable, they’ve gained early traction across airlines and airports, including a strategic investment from United Airlines. How can data reduce friction in a system that asks for perfection? What happens when spoken workflows finally become usable data? What safety, efficiency, and operational blind spots disappear when aviation systems can truly listen? In this episode, I’m joined by the CEO of aiOla, Amir Haramaty. He talks about why uncaptured speech is one of aviation’s biggest data gaps, and what it takes to turn spoken workflows into structured data that works anywhere aviation operates. You’ll also learn: Why data is the real bottleneck holding most organizations backHow uncaptured and unstructured spoken information creates hidden risk in regulated industriesWhy forcing people to “enter data” guarantees low-quality outcomesHow speech can become structured, compliant data without retraining massive modelsWhat United Airlines saw that made them invest before becoming a customerHow real-time spoken data changes safety culture, not just reportingWhy most AI pilots fail to show ROI and how to avoid that trapHow capturing frontline insights early enables proactive safety instead of reactive investigationsWhy the future of human–machine interaction won’t involve keyboards at all About the Guest Amir Haramaty is the CEO of aiOla. aiOla provides an AI operating layer that turns spoken interactions into structured, actionable data. Designed for highly complex, global operations, the platform enables organizations to capture critical information through speech—across languages, accents, and environments, while maintaining accuracy and compliance. Aiola helps aviation and other regulated industries unlock data that was previously uncaptured, improving safety, operational efficiency, and insight at scale. To learn more, go to https://aiola.ai/, send an email to [e-mail], or connect with Amir on LinkedIn. About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.