As the aviation industry rebounds and evolves, finance and audit teams face increasing pressure to modernize their processes while managing cost, compliance, and operational complexity.

Airlines are rapidly adopting automation to streamline workflows, reduce manual workloads, and stay audit-ready amid fast-changing regulatory and financial environments.

In our recent webinar, Staying Audit-Ready in a Turbulent Industry (yes, we had to make a pun), DataSnipper’s Remco de Vries was joined by two audit experts in the aviation space.  

• Cate Soane, Manager of Audit Data Analytics at United Airlines, sharing firsthand experience on scaling internal audit and finance automation in a complex aviation environment

• Adam Neifach, CPA, Senior Manager of Internal Audit at Frontier Airlines, offering practical insights into overcoming audit challenges and driving adoption of AI-driven workflows

They shared how their teams are using automation to cut down on manual work, stay ahead of audits, and actually add strategic value across the business.

Here are four standout moments from the session—with quick video snippets so you can hear it straight from the experts. Want the full recording? Watch it here.  

1. Acting as Audit Partners, Not Audit Police

Neifach shared a powerful perspective on shifting the internal audit mindset from policing to partnering. He emphasized the importance of advocating for business goals and reframing the audit function as a strategic collaborator rather than solely a compliance enforcer.

Watch Adam explain why redefining audit’s role is key to driving business impact.

2. Transforming Internal Audit through Automation and Continuous Improvement

Soane shared how her team at United is leaning into automation—not just to save time, but to open up space for more strategic work. By streamlining repetitive tasks, her team is focusing more on insights, improvements, and adding value beyond the audit checklist.

Hear Soane discuss how automation is enabling audit transformation.

3. Expanding Sample Testing with Automation

Neifach outlined why automation is so powerful in increasing sample sizes in audit testing. This capability allows auditors to review more data and improve audit quality — all while doing less manual work.  

Check out Neifach’s insights on enhancing audit coverage through automation.

4. Upskilling the Audit Team for a Data-Driven Future

The panel agreed on the critical need for upskilling audit teams. Soane shared a very creative approach to continuous training: the United Airlines automation belt scheme. Her team continuously improves their data and automation skills by “training” for new belts. An automation master? A Black belt of course. Not only is this a fun approach to upskilling, but it’s helping the team meet rising expectations with greater efficiency.

Watch Soane discuss her strategy for building a future-ready audit team.

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Real-World Wins: Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines puts these ideas into action. By embracing automation and promoting a strategic audit mindset, their internal audit team has reduced manual workloads, increased audit coverage, and strengthened collaboration with the business. Read their full story here: Frontier Airlines Case Study.

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Want more sessions like this?

We’re continuing the conversation in our Scaling Internal Audit webinar series. You’ll hear how other audit teams at Banking and Manufacturing organizations are tackling automation, audit transformation, and scaling smarter processes. Check out upcoming sessions and save your seat: Scaling IA Webinar Series.