Influencing On-Time Arrivals
Nolan Hartwick uses his MBAi experience at United to boost aircraft performance and safety for the world’s third-largest commercial fleet.
Nolan Hartwick (MBAi ‘22) knows you have somewhere to be, and he wants you to get there safely and on time.
More than most people, Hartwick can influence that possibility.
Hartwick is a digital aircraft strategy manager at United, where he uses artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize airplane routes and maintenance to improve on-time performance for the world’s third-largest commercial airline fleet. Every day, he finds himself applying lessons learned in Northwestern's MBAi Program, a joint-degree program offered between the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering.
“I love working at the intersection of business and technology, especially a world-changing technology like AI,” he said. ”The MBAi program greatly helped me to grow as a leader in this space.”
In Hartwick's eyes, most people think of AI as being something related to tech companies, but his role is an indicator of how far-reaching AI can be.
“AI is and will be significant in every industry, and every industry will need business leaders that understand AI,” Hartwick said. “The opportunities to MBAi graduates are much larger than just the tech industry.”
Hartwick's responsibilities include handling the massive amounts of data an aircraft gathers at any given point. One of his latest projects involved using aircraft performance data and coupling it with position data and airspace events such as weather and air traffic to optimize flight routes in real-time.
The benefit is not only fuel savings for the airline, but a better chance at on-time or early arrivals for passengers.
Those on-time arrivals are core to what motivates Hartwick.
“We transport millions of people annually on our nearly 1,000 aircraft, but the impact is very tangible to everyone in simple ways,” he said. “We connect people to some of the most important moments in their lives — weddings, vacations, births, family events — and it is exciting to deliver that impact.”
To have the biggest impact, Hartwick leans on what he feels was the most important skill set developed in the MBAi program: an ability to collaborate. The program's tight-knit cohort created great memories and left a lasting impression on how to accomplish important tasks together.
“The program taught me how to break down a complex business problem with AI components and work with others in both technical and business roles to craft an effective solution,” said Hartwick, who joined United in July 2023. “I use those skills every day at United.”
Hartwick helped develop an iOS application allowing pilots and maintenance teams to better communicate during all phases of a flight. This enables a faster and more detailed flow of information that minimizes aircraft down time. He also is working on a project to analyze aircraft flight data to predict system issues and plan maintenance before they force an aircraft offline and impact travelers.
In those instances, Hartwick coordinated with a diverse group of stakeholders, including data scientists, engineers, IT staff, maintenance crews, and pilots. Knowing how to communicate about AI with those different audiences requires a certain skill set — one Hartwick developed in the MBAi program.
“Aviation is a very complex space, and it would be impossible to be an expert on each facet of aviation,” he said. “MBAi gave me the confidence and skills to pull together a team of experts to solve complex problems.”