Business
1 October 2026
Pyper Vision uses AI to predict fog and reduce flight delays
Christchurch aerospace company Pyper Vision is transforming aviation weather forecasting with AI-powered fog prediction technology. Discover how local innovation, global partnerships and Christchurch's growing aerospace sector are helping reduce flight disruptions worldwide.
Aerospace & Future Transport
The Christchurch company using AI to tackle aviation's fog problem
Christchurch aerospace company Pyper Vision set out to clear fog from airports. What it found instead was a bigger opportunity: predicting it.
Founder Emily Blythe says field testing of the company’s original dispersal technology exposed major gaps in how fog formation is understood.
"We had designed our product based on the available scientific literature about how fog forms, yet what we observed in the real world often didn't match those assumptions," she says.
Building AI-powered weather intelligence
That insight led Pyper Vision to develop AI-powered forecasting technology instead, with Blythe believing better predictions can reduce costly disruptions for airlines and airports.
"By improving the accuracy of fog forecasting and reducing false alarms, we can address a significant part of the problem and help more passengers travel on time," she says.
The company has since established itself as a trusted provider of aviation weather intelligence, becoming the only private company certified for airlines to act on its fog forecasts. Blythe says the long-term ambition is to build an integrated aviation weather platform, bringing together forecasts for fog, wind, low cloud and other conditions into a single source of information for airlines, airports and air traffic managers.
Taking Christchurch innovation to the world's busiest airports
A chance connection with one of the United Kingdom's most innovative airports helped Pyper Vision refine its technology on the world stage. Seeking a partner operating in complex airspace, the Christchurch company began working with London City Airport, whose reputation for embracing new technology made it an ideal testing ground.
For Blythe, some of the most valuable lessons came from seeing how decisions are made inside a busy airport.
"Sitting in the operations room and watching how different teams interpreted and used forecasts gave us a much deeper understanding of their decision-making processes," she says.
Those insights helped shape the product and ensured forecasts were presented in ways that deliver the greatest value to airport operators and airlines.
Why international partnerships matter
The UK was an attractive market not only because of its scale, but because of the complexity of its aviation network. Airports such as London City sit within some of the world's busiest and most interconnected airspace, providing an opportunity to understand how weather information influences decisions across airports, airlines and air traffic management.
For a company developing technology for safety-critical environments, Blythe says international partnerships are essential.
"With emerging technology, particularly in aerospace, having good technology is only one part of the job. You need to understand how it fits into a real operational system, how people will use it, how it interacts with regulation and safety requirements, and ultimately whether it creates enough value to change behaviour."
Despite the distance, Blythe says being based in Christchurch has proven more advantage than obstacle.
International partnerships have helped Pyper Vision understand how different aviation markets operate and how weather information is used in real-world decision-making. The company's work in the UK is now helping build the credibility and case studies needed for future expansion into Europe and the United States freight aviation market.
The aerospace community behind Pyper Vision’s success
While Pyper Vision now works with organisations including Air New Zealand, London City Airport and British Airways' largest regional airline operator, Blythe says the foundations were built in Christchurch.
Support from Christchurch Airport, access to local trial opportunities and a fast-growing aerospace sector helped the company develop and prove its technology before taking it offshore.
The biggest advantage, she says, has been the strength of the local aerospace community.
Blythe points to organisations such as Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre, Kea Aerospace and Dawn Aerospace as examples of a sector pushing boundaries across advanced aviation and spaceflight.
"The community has been enormous," she says. "Many of those founders have become good friends, and having the ability to pick up the phone and say, 'I'm stuck on this problem. Who has solved something similar?' has been incredibly valuable."
“That willingness to share knowledge, talent and experience has helped create a collaborative environment where Christchurch companies can build world-class technology and take it to global markets."Emily Blythe, Founder - Pyper Vision
Building global technology from Christchurch
Blythe believes the depth of aerospace capability emerging from Christchurch is still underappreciated.
"It's been interesting talking to investors who have visited New Zealand recently. A common theme is that Christchurch has developed world-class technical capability in aerospace, and people are only just starting to recognise the depth of expertise that exists here."
She says companies such as Dawn Aerospace, which has secured major international partnerships and investment, are evidence that Christchurch's aerospace sector is beginning to scale commercially.
"We're beginning to see that capability translated into commercial success internationally. Companies are increasingly finding ways to take advanced technologies developed in Christchurch and bring them to global markets."
Growing a company from New Zealand has also shaped the way Pyper Vision thinks about expansion.
"There is something useful about starting from New Zealand. We are a small market, so if you are building a globally relevant technology company, you learn quite early that your customers, partners and expertise are going to have to come from more than one country. International thinking becomes part of the company from the beginning rather than something you add later."
That mindset has helped the company build relationships across multiple markets while maintaining its technical base in Christchurch.
Why Christchurch's aerospace future is just beginning
Despite its international ambitions, Blythe says Christchurch will remain at the centre of the business.
"We're committed to keeping our product development and regulatory capability based in Christchurch, while continuing to grow our commercial and go-to-market teams offshore."
She believes the city's unique characteristics give local companies a genuine competitive advantage.
"Christchurch has a really interesting combination of aviation heritage, engineering and technology capability, and a community that is willing to back people trying difficult things. You can build deep capability here and take it to the world."Emily Blythe, Founder - Pyper Vision
For other Christchurch companies looking beyond New Zealand, Blythe's advice is simple: think globally, build strong relationships and don't underestimate what's possible from the South Island.
"If you're solving a problem that matters internationally and you're prepared to invest the time in understanding the market and building trust, there is no reason a company built in Christchurch can't earn a seat at those tables."
Pyper Vision's growth comes as Christchurch hosts the New Zealand Aerospace Summit 2026, bringing together industry leaders, researchers and innovators from across New Zealand and overseas.
Key takeaways
- A pivot from fog dispersal to AI forecasting became Pyper Vision's breakthrough, after real-world testing revealed gaps between scientific assumptions and how fog actually forms in operational environments.
- Christchurch-developed technology is now helping aviation organisations make better decisions, with Pyper Vision becoming the only private company certified for airlines to act on its fog forecasts.
- International partnerships, including with London City Airport, have helped validate and refine the technology, giving the company valuable insights into how weather intelligence is used across complex aviation networks.
- Christchurch's collaborative aerospace sector is helping local companies compete globally, providing access to expertise, trial opportunities and a supportive community that is driving international growth and recognition.
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