Alaka Airlines and UP.Labs announced the establishment of the Airlines Venture Lab, a partnership to build startups that solve core strategic challenges for Alaska Airlines and the future of aviation. UP.Labs is an organization that partners with transportation and mobility companies to launch startups designed around solutions to industry issues.

With a goal of launching the first startup in 2024, the new partnership will focus on identifying high-value solutions that address some of the greatest areas of friction within aviation. These could include operational efficiency, guest experience or other elements in the business of travel. This is the third such corporate partnership for UP.Labs, following Porsche AG and an undisclosed large retailer.

Ben Minicucci, Alaska ‘s CEO, said the carrier has been a pioneer on several fronts, including being the first to sell tickets online and to use Flyways machine learning software to make flight paths even more efficient and sustainable in today’s crowded airspace. He said sometimes innovation comes from within the company, and “sometimes it takes key partners to unlock progress for aviation as a whole.”