Airlines' Reliance On Technology Could Create New Risks

Last week,

was forced to ground hundreds of flights after a computer glitch made it impossible for the company to operate its flights. The glitch shut down the airline's reservations system and made it impossible for employees to check passengers in. The ordeal led regulators to take a closer look at the increasingly digitized world of aviation with a critical eye.

that the United Airlines glitch was a good example of the risks aviation companies are exposed to when they incorporate technology into their operations.

Airlines have become increasingly reliant on technology as they work to make their operations faster and more efficient. Allowing customers to use mobile boarding passes, for example, reduces lines at check in and cuts down on the cost of paper and ink. Some companies have replaced heavy paper manuals with iPads in order to reduce the amount of paperwork that pilots need to print out to prepare for flights.

However, such processes carry a high degree of risk as a simple malfunction could cost an airline thousands in delayed or canceled flights.

experienced a delay earlier this year after pilots' iPads were unable to download their flight manuals.

Not only are airlines exposed to financial hardships if their technology fails, but they are also more vulnerable to cyber threats when the majority of their operations are carried out online. The shift toward using technology in aviation has forced airline operators to look closely at cyber protection systems in order to keep hackers from breaching their systems.