Air Canada’s customer experience takes off with hybrid multicloud networking

Air Canada simplifies networking to elevate customer experience

Equinix helped Air Canada to design a new digital backbone with secure, global hybrid multicloud networking and optimized network performance to simplify operations, reduce costs and enhance flexibility, while seamlessly scaling to meet the airline’s evolving business needs.

From iteration to transformation

Airlines are incredibly complex. Air Canada moves, on average, 120,000+ customers per day on roughly 1,500 flights in 100 countries and at 180 airports. From the “look to book” process online, to conveying passenger and flight information to partners and governments, to communicating with customers before and after their departure—every service must be as frictionless as possible.

The airline’s network infrastructure was built around traditional, centralized, private data centers. Wanting to leap ahead and transform its digital capabilities rather than just iterate, Air Canada recognized it needed a new digital backbone that offered robust interconnection.

Soaring into the cloud

 Air Canada turned to Equinix to help design its new digital backbone—a virtual runway between the airline’s regular network and its cloud and partner zones. Equinix’s globally interconnected infrastructure setup for hybrid multicloud networking and network optimization enabled the airline to seamlessly connect critical elements of its digital infrastructure—public clouds, colocation facilities and on-premises environments—in a secure, efficient and simplified manner.

Through advanced software-defined connectivity with Equinix Fabric® and Virtual Network Functions (VNF) as a Service with Network Edge, Air Canada reduced latency, optimized resources and eliminated unnecessary redundant infrastructure.

Ongoing scalability, sustainability and partner collaboration

With Equinix, Air Canada transitioned from on-premises data centers to high-performance data centers, harnessed the global footprint for hybrid multicloud networking and enabled access to a rich ecosystem of clouds, networks and industry-specific providers like Amadeus. Now, the airline takes advantage of optimized network performance, enhanced security and simplified operations with reduced costs—and can scale effortlessly to meet its evolving business needs.

By meeting more partners in Equinix locations, Air Canada takes advantage of much higher economies of scale than it could achieve on its own. Private, direct interconnection enables deeper integration and improved reliability and performance for the exchange of services and data with its partners—and empowers the airline to do more joint partnerships, including with Uber and other providers to offer unparalleled customer service.

In addition, with easy access to cloud services, Air Canada implemented advanced AI and machine learning capabilities as well as AR/VR—all of which it uses to enhance customer experience.

At the same time, 100% renewable energy coverage in Equinix data centers, coupled with sustainability efforts from cloud providers and partners, puts Air Canada closer to its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Benefits

Reduced network complexity

The airline simplified network and security infrastructure by using industry-standard functions globally, offering a consistent management experience through a unified portal. 

Scalable, flexible network architecture

Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) and software-defined connectivity allow rapid and flexible expansion of networks functionally and geographically, enabling seamless scaling, new market entry and real-time network adjustments.

Maximized performance  

Air Canada optimized network architectures by connecting clouds and edge locations directly without relying on centralized network architectures, reducing latency and improving resource utilization.

Secure and compliant infrastructure

Private connectivity options enable secure infrastructure integration, reducing attack surface and enhancing compliance with regulations.