Aircraft IT Ops

THE LATEST THINGFirst check if its needed

AIRPORT DATAThe basis for performance management

White Papers: Closed Loop, ACFT PERFO Case Study: Condor Survey: ETS Aviation Vendor Flight Log: Airline Control Software Column: Paul Saunders PLUS: The latest News, Webinars, Operations Software Directory

V2.3 JUNE-JULY 2013

SAVING FUEL MEANS UNDERSTANDING FUEL MANAGEMENTUsing good software and teamwork

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FINDING instead ofsearching

Intelligent electronic manuals

Effectivity managementManagement of amendmentsEfficient access to required informationIncremental updates

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CLICK HERE: Subscribe for freeAircraftIT OPS is published bi-monthly and is an affiliate of Aircraft Commerce and part of the AviationNextGen Ltd group. The entire contents within this publication Copyright 2013 AviationNextGen Ltd an independent publication and not affiliated with any of the IT vendors or suppliers. Content may not be reproduced without the strict written agreement of the publisher.

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of their companies or of the publisher. The publisher does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.

AircraftIT Operations Publisher/Editor: Ed Haskey E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: +44 1273 648317 Website: www.aircraftIT.com Copy Editor/Contributor: John Hancock Magazine Production: Dean Cook E-mail: [email protected]

04 Latest News aNd techNoLogy updatesTheres always something to do in Operations IT so the trick is to know where to look for the latest news about the sector. Professionals use www.aircraftit.com/operations and AircraftIT Operations e-journal to keep up to date.

12 whIte papeR: the pRobLem eFb wIth ImpLemeNtatIoNCaptain Michael Bryan, Principal, Closed Loop ConsultingAirlines often rush in to new technology without first thinking why they might need it and how it will fit into their business. EFB risks that fate unless we think differently.

20 upcomINg webINaRs: FRee LIve opeRatIoNs soFtwaRe demoNstRatIoNsPreviews of live software demonstration Webinars from Ovidius on 27th June, Sheorey Digital Systems on 11h July, AVIOBOOK on 25th July and Logipad on 29th August.

22 case study: savINg FueL at coNdoRCaptain Frank Lumnitzer, Head of Fuel-, Environmental- and Air Traffic Management at Condor (Thomas Cook Airlines Group)In order to achieve further fuel savings, Condor is combining a team effort with powerful software providing transparency on fuel usage and allowing accurate monitoring of Condors fuel savings initiatives.

27 aIRcRaFt It FueL eFFIcIeNcy suRvey spoNsoRed by ets avIatIoNHow do we manage fuel today and how can that improve tomorrow?Its the single most significant cost factor in any airlines operations and yet how much is known about fuel management and fuel saving in any airline or operator? The Aircraft IT ETS Aviation 2013 Fuel Management Survey aims to shine some light into this important aspect of Operations Management.

29 veNdoR FLIght Log: veNdoR FLIght LogJacek yczba explains the thinking and approach that have made Airline Control Software (ACS) such a successIn the latest of our Q&A pieces, Jacek yczba President & CEO, Airline Control Software, LTD. (ACS) shares his Flight Log with Aircraft IT readers.

30 whIte papeR: LeavINg aNd aRRIvINg saFeLy aNd eFFIcIeNtLyArno Broes, Partner and Commercial manager at ACFT PERFOCommercial flights begin and end at airports during brief but critical minutes for safety and operating efficiency. Knowing the airport data can improve that process.

33 coLumN: the woRLd accoRdINg to It & me!A question of integrity. Paul SaundersHas the advent of devices in the cockpit made us hyper-aware of crew integrity or has it handed the control freaks another reason to constrain what flight crew are allowed to do? If we treat people like adults, might they not also behave as such?

34 past webINaRs: kNowLedge tRaNsFeR aNd access FoR INdustRy expeRts View Recordings of Past Operations Software Demonstration WebinarsSee full information and view video recordings of past Operations Software Demonstrations, including: Flygprestanda, ACFT PERFO, AIR SUPPORT and InfoTrust Group.

36 upLoad teNdeRWhatever software solution you are looking for, this Tender upload feature will allow you to reach out to all the major Vendors at once.

37 youR Next caReeR stepFind out about current and future vacancies for people like you in the sector where your experience and skills are valued.

38 opeRatIoNs soFtwaRe dIRectoRyA detailed look at the worlds leading Operations IT systems.

Editors commentAircraft IT Operations: serving people who operate one of the most challenging business processes.

As you read this Summer 2013 issue, July will be approaching. Many of you might then say, so what? But if you operate passenger aircraft from Europe or North America, youll be aware that we are approaching the annual holiday or vacation season. And getting away from what can be pretty indifferent weather verges on an obsession with the populations of countries like the UK. And it isnt only European and North American operators who are affected: in all of the sunny countries to which people travel, there will be similar operations to receive tourists and return them home at the end of their holiday.

Neither is it only Europeans and North Americans who travel. Ever increasing numbers of newly affluent people from the new economic giants also travel; in fact most of the world now travels at some time. According to IATA, some 3 billion passengers fly each year and while a good number of those will be business travellers, all of them need to be boarded, transported, landed and reunited with their luggage. Said quickly it sounds easy but readers will know that is far from the case. Aircraft Operations and the IT to support them, constrained by regulation, emissions controls, fuel management needs, tight schedules, staff rostering, etc., etc. are fiendishly complex processes. Every piece of information gleaned offers a competitive advantage in this world of fine margins.

In this issue youll find out more about information and what to do with it. We cover how to make informed decisions about new technology, how to use airport data to improve performance and how to achieve fuel savings. Theres also an opportunity to participate in the Aircraft IT 2013 fuel efficiency survey with ETS Aviation and some pointers as to what makes ACS tick. Plus, Paul Saunders will offer his personal insight into the world according to IT. Then theres information about the Aircraft IT live demonstration webinars; allowing readers to research the software package most appropriate for their needs and access past webinars while, of course, future webinars are open for every reader who registers.

Aircraft IT Operations: information arriving at the right place, at the right time.

Ed Haskey Editor

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FINDING instead ofsearching

Intelligent electronic manuals

Effectivity managementManagement of amendmentsEfficient access to required informationIncremental updates

New software solutions providers join Aircraft IT vendor group

4 | NEWS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | JUNE-JULY 2013

AS a knowledge resource, the strength of AircraftIT is gr4eatly enhanced by the members of our growing panel of vendors. So it is with great pleasure that we announce the inclusion of a further solution provider to the panel.

Airline Control Software, LTD is a specialized IT company engaged in software development for the airline. The main product is the ACS System, consisting of 16 modules. There are optional modules: OPS (including OCC Flight Dispatch, NTO, FLIGHT INFO PAX OPS, MCC), CREW, CAMO (Part-M), LINE MAINTENANCE (Part-145), FLEET

MANAGEMENT, HANDLING, FUELING MANAGEMENT QMS, SMS, TRAINING, TICKETS & BOOKING and built-in modules: DOCUMENTS MANAGEMENT, LOGISTICS, COMMERCIAL, FINANCE SUPPORT, SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR. The system is designed for small and medium-sized airlines and covers in full all aspects of managing and supporting the airline. YOM 2012 uses the latest technology mainly Mictosoft and Apple. Three platforms are available for users: PC, www and iPad/iPhone. The systems is scalable and open, allowing integration with other systems existing in the airline. For data security, each client can use an online database replication.

AircraftIT Operations editor and publisher, Ed Haskey, welcomed the new vendors to the panel, commenting, In an increasingly integrated and digital working environment, Operations executives need a resource through which they can keep up to speed with the latest developments. Through the vendors on our panel, we are able to offer readers just that capability. This further vendor who has joined will continue to strengthen that panel adding significantly to the skills and knowledge resources available to readers.

ACS has already completed implementation of the program in Bingo Airways

IN early June 2013, it was announced that the ten year contract between Airline Control Software (ACS) and Bingo Airways that had been signed at the end of March was now implemented. Bingo Airways is a Polish charter airline operating a fleet of Airbus aircraft. The airline has received a license which includes all units of the ACS system: OPS, CREW, FINANCE, HANDLING, SCHED, CAMO and DOCUMENTATION MANAGEMENT. The system will improve the efficiency of Bingo Airways their operation in many areas and it will help to cut cost of operational activities.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SOFTWARE DETAILS AND FOR A DEMO

Many developers are writing apps that can use aircraft position, weather

info, and/or discretes from the aircraft. Applications for weight and balance

information, OOOI reports, data recording and reporting, and many others can

be developed and tailored for the user.

DAC Internationals GDC64 was specifically designed as an aircraft interface

device to give the iPad the data it can use in order to be the tool it should be

without cumbersome Wi-Fi devices. Simply plug your iPad into the connector

coming from a convenient location in the cockpit.

Contact us today.

Avionics Solutions Provider | Worldwide Dealer Network | Engineering-Manufacturing

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From The Cockpit To Your iPadGDC64 Tablet Aircraft Interface Unit (TAIU)

Approved Apple developer

Airbus bases Fleet Technical Management IT solution on AMASIS from IFRSKEYES IFRSKEYES announced in mid-June 2013 that Airbus FHS (Flight Hour Services) has built a powerful IT solution based on AMASIS to monitor the aircraft component Pool access and to perform the Engineering activities proposed to Airbus operators (Fleet Technical Management).

The Airbus IT division has also developed a solution based on IBIS, IFRSKEYES integrated Business Intelligence tool, to enrich AMASIS coverage with customized reports and dashboards.

IFRSKEYES works in close cooperation with Airbus not only to integrate solutions into the global Airbus IT architecture, but also to interface with the customers solutions to streamline communication and further increase quality service.

Airbus FHS is now covering more than 100 aircrafts for A320, A330, A340 and A380 operators.

JUNE-JULY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | NEWS | 5

AVIASO software supports Aer Lingus in achieving further fuel savings Aviaso announced, in late June 2013, the successful implementation of its fuel conservation software at Aer Lingus. The Aviaso software supports Aer Lingus in its comprehensive fuel savings program that saves millions of euros in fuel and carbon emissions.

Anne Bradley, Director Operations Logistics at Aer Lingus said, Aer Lingus selected Aviaso following a comprehensive and competitive tender process. Our criteria for selection included fuel efficiency know-how, customer focus, flexibility and proven track record in complex software projects. Aviaso provided excellent support throughout the project which helped us to successfully achieve our project goals, despite the demanding requirements.

The fuel efficiency software of Aviaso receives data from all fuel and flight relevant IT systems of an airline. In the case of Aer Lingus, the data from more than 10 different IT systems is used. A crucial aspect is to have high data quality. Therefore, the data is checked, validated, and possibly adjusted before it is used for analyses. The fuel efficiency software includes more than 100 ready-made analysis reports. These reports allow Aer Lingus to achieve


For more information Visit: www.aviit.com, call: +44 (0)1383 620922 or email: [email protected]

Delivering powerful, real time operational data.

AVIIT HP 1212 Archimedes.indd 1 13/02/2013 15:17

DAC International secures PMA approval for GDC64COrreSPOndIng APP reLeASed On ITUneSIN early May, 2013, DAC International, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) for the companys GDC64 Tablet Aircraft Interface Unit (TAIU). The GDC64 developed by DAC International feeds aircraft data to an iPad without additional costly Wi-Fi devices. This unique interface product routes live data from aircraft sensors and systems to an iPad enabling a wide range of incremental functionality for the flight crew. Simply plug an iPad into conveniently located connectors in the cockpit to get data and power to keep the iPad fully charged during flight.

The Tablet Aircraft Interface Unit is applicable on corporate, regional and major airlines and rotorcraft.

In addition to the PMA approval, Apple has certified the GDC64 hardware and the GDC64 iOS app, which is making its debut on the iTunes store. This will allow operators to now have access to a data library for use in a variety of apps as they become more available, said General Manager of DAC International Francisco Hernandez. In addition, the installer can now download the GDC64 app directly from iTunes to allow users to setup and configure ARINC 429 data for their installation.

To locate the app from the iTunes store just search GDC64 or access via http://tinyurl.com/clesmo6

Aviaso software supports Aer Lingus in achieving further fuel savings

transparency over its fuel consumption and to identify its fuel savings potential. In addition to identifying fuel savings, the Aviaso software also supports Aer Lingus in achieving these savings by rigorously monitoring the various fuel savings initiatives for each and every flight.

Applying the common fuel efficiency initiatives is nowadays well established at many airlines. However, it is possible to achieve further fuel savings, as several of our airline clients can demonstrate. observes Rudolf Christen, CEO of Aviaso. The key is measure to manage. An airline needs to monitor day-by-day and flight-by-flight which initiatives are making progress and which are not. Such comprehensive monitoring is one of the key functions of our fuel conservation software.


ETS Aviation makes inroads to Switzerland and ChileSKYWORK AIRLINES LEADING THE WAY IN FUEL EFFICIENCYSKYWORK Airlines AG, Switzerlands fastest growing regional airline, announced at the end of May 2013, the selection of ETS Aviation FuelSaverTM to power their fuel efficiency programme. The airline will also be sharing the fuel saving lessons learned in a presentation at the European Regional Airlines Annual Assembly in Salzburg during 2-4 October.

Aviation FuelSaverTM, created by aviation software and consultancy specialists ETS Aviation Ltd, provides a unique combination of smart software and fuel saving expertise via a low cost annual subscription.

SkyWork CEO Tomislav Lang, says: The Aviation FuelSaverTM programme is the perfect way to manage our fuel-efficiency ambitions. SkyWorks fleet of Dornier 328 and Dash 8 Q400s is known to be highly economical, but there are always opportunities to become more fuel efficient. This is important to our customers, to our pilots and operational staff as well as to our shareholders.

SkyWork Airlines is the first airline operating only turboprop aircraft to have invested in the Aviation FuelSaverTM fuel efficiency software system which is coupled with independent specialist consultancy. Previously, this level of expertise and software complexity has been too expensive for smaller operators. ETS Aviation aims to solve that by pricing their programme according to the size of the operator. The logic of the system is based on auto processing and calculation across data from a large number of operating parameters. The system coverts the resulting data into easy to use graphical analysis charts and reports. The end user benefits from accurate monitoring of the operation, fuel efficiency, tracking of fuel efficiency procedures and the detection of potential fuel efficiency gains.

David Carlisle, CEO of ETS Aviation, says: To see a turboprop operator who already flies a fuel efficient fleet investing in our Fuel Efficiency Program, proves its worth. It shows that Aviation FuelSaverTM really can improve operational efficiency for all aircraft operators, no matter their fleet size or aircraft. We are delighted to be working with SkyWork Airlines.

SKY AIRLINE LAUNCHES FUEL EFFICIENCY PROGRAMMESKY Airline, Chiles fast growing low cost carrier has announced the selection of ETS Aviations Aviation FuelSaver The program announced in early June 2013 is expected to enhance the airlines operational and fuel efficiency.

Holger Paulmann, Sky Airline CEO, said: The Aviation FuelSaver software and consultancy program is the smart way to manage our fuel-efficiency objectives. With the fleet change, we have been able to reduce our Fuel-CASK by 36.2% and, together with FuelSaver and the consultancy provided by ETS Aviation, we have been able to realize our fuel efficiency potential, and will focus on the key variables. The software tool is easy to use and is already delivering results.

The software is also backed by ETS Aviations fuel efficiency specialists and IT expertise that makes it a unique total solution which delivers high returns for a very modest investment. Ian Britchford, Director of Fuel Saving for ETS Aviation said, It is great to be working with a growing, focused airline in this region of the world that has clear objectives for their fuel saving programme.




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InfoTrust Group and Flatirons Solutions Join Forces gLObAL OrgAnIzATIOn ACCeLerATeS PACe In MAkIng A dIFFerenCe TO TUrn COnTenT InTO knOWLedge And deLIVer The rIghT InFOrMATIOn, AT The rIghT TIMe, TO The rIghT PeOPLe

INFOTRUST Group, provider of information management solutions, announced at the beginning of June 2013 that it has acquired Flatirons Solutions, recognized experts in consulting and systems integration for content-intensive and regulatory-driven industries. This acquisition is another milestone in InfoTrust Groups strategic pursuit to challenge the status quo and provide independent and innovative solutions that meet business-critical information management requirements.

InfoTrust Group introduced the first manufacturer-independent, aviation-centric technical information delivery system based on a number of open technology and industry standards. Today, the combination of InfoTrust Group and Flatirons Solutions creates an unparalleled team of domain and technology experts, and an enlarged portfolio of solutions, that will help organizations across industries solve increasingly complex information management challenges more effectively and achieve higher returns on investment.

InfoTrust Group and Flatirons Solutions serve many Fortune 100 companies that are leaders in their respective markets, including the worlds largest engine and power systems manufacturer, the largest airlines, the largest component manufacturer, leading providers of auto repair information and services, leading media and publishing companies, global communications and consumer goods

companies, and both Government agencies and Armed Forces.

To further accelerate growth of the combined organization, InfoTrust Group and Flatirons will continue to expand their strong ecosystem of partners that includes organizations such as EMC, SDL, Alfresco, MarkLogic, and others that continuously deliver new technologies to support evolving market requirements.

With this significant step, Flatirons Solutions is also looking to expand its solutions to customers in Europe and Asia as we leverage InfoTrust Groups established operations, said Greg Beserra, co-founder and president of Content Technology at Flatirons Solutions. In fact, we are looking to attract and hire up to 40 experts, in just the second half of 2013 alone, to sustain the strong demand for our services and solutions.

Gary Fuller, president of Government Solutions at Flatirons Solutions, added; Joining forces with InfoTrust Group now affords us a new and exciting opportunity to provide todays most advanced content technology solutions to further benefit our Government and Armed Forces clients.

Beyond the natural synergies between our companies and our complementary offerings, we are very excited to see that we also share a common vision and culture, said Geoffrey Godet, president and CEO of InfoTrust Group. Together, 400 information management and technology experts and consultants are fulfilling our companys vision to make a difference and help our customers turn content into knowledge, and deliver the right information at the right time to the right people.

AvioVision and Web Manuals integrate digitised manuals in AVIOBOOK EFBAVIOVISION and Web Manuals Sweden AB proudly announced in late May 2013 that they have started work offering a joint solution for digitising manuals into an integrated Electronic Flight Bag app for use by pilots in the cockpit.

The Web Manuals cloud application for writing, reviewing and publishing manuals is the most easy-to-use tool available to airlines.

AVIOBOOK is a smart and intuitive EFB solution offering a common user experience for route charts, documents, logs and performance calculations, all essential tools for pilots.

Being a web-based software application, Web Manuals has been praised for its user-friendliness and quick deployment; it is therefore a perfect match for the smooth user experience provided by AVIOBOOK, said Kris Van den Bergh, CEO of AvioVision.

Martin Lidgard, CEO of Web Manuals Sweden added, We are proud to see AvioVision as a strategic partner enabling both companies to offer the integrated solution to new and existing clients. We share the same values and vision of providing the aviation industry with an exceptional user experience worthy of the 21st century.


Boeing upgrades Twister software to take better advantage of Cloud ComputingIN mid-April 2013, Boeing announced the release of an upgrade for its Twister Data Framework software, which helps customers make better decisions by analyzing large amounts of data. Customers using version 3.7.4 can quickly and reliably access and analyze data in the cloud or elsewhere from anywhere on their network.

Finding decision-quality information in a massive amount of data is the Big Data challenge that all of our customers face, said Jonathan Moneymaker, Boeing director of the Intelligence Systems Group. This latest Twister upgrade ensures that our customers continue to have an information advantage that incorporates the latest features of the rapidly evolving cloud environment.

Twister Data Frameworks new features include: Support for variable workloads through elastic computing and load-

balancing to improve software performance in the cloud and across clustered file systems;

Extended open-source software support to make better use of third-party technologies for easier integration in the customer environment;

A reporting capability that alerts system administrators to performance bottlenecks by capturing node health events.

More information about Twister Data Framework is available at twisterdataframework.com.

Sheorey Digital Systems Ltd. (SDS) confirms an order from Gulf Helicopters Company (GHC)AVIATION InfoTech solutions provider, Sheorey Digital Systems Ltd. (SDS), confirmed in mid-June 2013 an order from the Gulf Helicopters Company (GHC) for the software vendors latest application and EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) Solution: ARMS on the TAB. With this acquisition, Doha, Qatar based GHCs Helicopter Operations will benefit from a completely integrated EFB solution. ARMS on the TAB is an integral component of the ARMSV2 (Aviation Resource Management System, Ver. 2.0) application suite from SDS and many of its components are already in use at GHC. This affords GHC the significant advantage of having an EFB solution that is fully integrated with the back office and Ops systems.

Commenting on the development, MD & CEO of Sheorey Digital Systems, Vivek Sheorey expressed his deep pleasure on the choice exercised by GHC and added that the adoption of ARMS on the TAB by GHC is a logical extension of the ARMSV2 deployment and adds tremendous value to GHCs offshore operations by providing anytime-anyplace accessibility as a fully mobile application.

Reflecting the growing trend towards adoption of Tablet devices across Air Operations and Engineering, ARMS on the Tab delivers the attributes and values of the versatile ARMS V2 application suite, via any user-defined Tablet platform.

Twister and other Boeing processing, exploitation and dissemination software products are one of the ways Boeing helps address customers situational awareness needs through a seamless flow of information, from collection to aggregation to analysis. The breadth of these capabilities can be experienced online by visiting: www.boeing.com/advertising/c4isr.



NAVTECH CUSTOMER RECEIVES TRIAL APPROVAL FOR CLASS 2 EFBEARLY in 2013, Navtech Inc., a vendor of flight operations software and services, welcomed returning customer Braathens Regional through a multi-year agreement for provisioning aeronautical electronic charts for the iPad. Since then, in early June 2013, Braathens Regional has been awarded trial approval from the Swedish Transport Agency for an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Class 2 system using the iPad. Each of Braathens Regionals 140 pilots has been provided an iPad and their entire fleet of 17 aircraft is being modified. The SAAB and ATR aircraft will be fitted with cockpit-mounting so the Braathens pilots can use the iPad in all phases of flight.

Were confident that our fully integrated EFB system will deliver exactly what we need and we have documented the project process in detail to be able to offer know-how and documentation to other airlines, said Braathens Regional, EFB Project Manager Pierre Cronvall. For Braathens Regional, as well as other airlines considering or currently utilizing Navtech iCharts, there are operational, cost efficiency, and environmental benefits of an emerging paperless cockpit. Improved quality assurance is also a major factor for airlines.

Navtech iCharts brings Navtech electronic charts to the iPad. This allows the iPad to be used as a Class 1 EFB or in the Braathens Regional case, with regulatory and operational approval, as a Class 2 Type B device. Navtech has worked with a number of customers to achieve operational approval of the iPad as a Class 2 device.

Navtechs family of state-of-the-art aeronautical charts products have been developed using research from Human Factor specialists and by gathering data from, and working closely with, pilots having years of experience using aeronautical charts. Each chart includes enhanced symbology and communication features. Navtechs Windows-based electronic charts viewing application, Navtech eCharts, has been used by Navtechs customers for over ten years.

Continued product enhancements will form the infrastructure for Navtech to easily support all Classes of EFB and all devices from tablets to installed avionics. Congratulations to Braathens Regional, said Mr. Heath

Bowden, Director Product Manage-ment Charts & EFB at Navtech. Navtech iCharts, is a fundamental transformation to the charting marketplace and with the growing number of airlines choosing Navtech, it acknowledges the benefits available to our customers from our software investments.

NAVTECH PARTNERS WITH NEW US SHAREHOLDER NAVTECH Inc. announced a new investor in the business in mid-June 2013. Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), a global private investment firm, has committed to support Navtechs international efforts to provide airlines with high quality, mission critical aeronautical products and services including aeronautical charts, navigation data, and flight planning, aircraft performance, and crew planning software solutions.

VSS, based in New York and London, invests in information, education, media, marketing and business services, now including aviation software and services from Navtech. The VSS team of experienced professionals brings wide ranging experience across a variety of industries to the relationship with Navtechs management. VSS joins Cambridge Information Group (CIG), a family owned investment firm focused on education, research and information services, and Externalis, a European based investment firm, as continuing Navtech investors.

This new mix of investors shows confidence in Navtech and our growth strategy, said Mike Hulley, Navtech President and CEO. We will leverage this investment to expand our market share in our traditional European footprint, the Asia Pacific region, and in North America.

We believe that Navtechs state of the art, SaaS applications are well positioned to help airlines increase safety, maximize efficiency, and reduce operating costs, said David Bainbridge, Partner, VSS Structured Capital Funds. With its recently upgraded product portfolio, the company will continue to capture global market share and lead the development of electronic flight bag solutions. Navtech has operating offices in Canada, the UK and Sweden and is supported by satellite staff worldwide.

NavTech wins more approvals and new investment


Upcoming EventsAGIFORS Crew Management Group - June 2013 Frankfurt

CAPAs Australia Pacific Summit - August 2013 SydneyMAKS 2013 - August 2013 Moscow

Navtech realizes that each airlines business case for EFB will require a uniquecombination of hardware, software, applications, back-office tools, and businessprocess adjustment. With this in mind, Navtech partners with each customer and their EFB suppliers of choice to provide the best ROI possible. Discover moreabout Navtech TODC and Navtech Charts for EFB at www.navtech.aero.



JUST in time to the EFB Exhibition in London Heathrow, in mid-June 2013 aircore systems announced a brand new version 3.0 of their EFB solution AS-FlightBag. Updating a system that is already very good, this cockpit IT solution includes a lot of new functionality in the already well-established basic modules of Library, JourneyLog, CrewBriefing, LeastCostRouting and TechLog. But more than that, there is now a brand new module, eOFP, which supports the pilots and optimizes their daily work in the flight.

Aircore_systems GmBH announce their EFB Solution V3.0The ChALLengeWith this latest manifestation of a well-established solution, the objective was to provide one FlightBag for various and variable types of operations such as wet or dry Leasing, ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance), Own Use, etc. Also, to work across a range of hardware platforms such as tablet PCs and notebooks using MS-Win 7 or 8, and Apple iOS. Furthermore, the solution had to be compatible with aircraft specific hardware such as that from Lufthansa Technik, Goodrich, EAE electronics, NavAero, etc.

The SOLUTIOnaircore_systems GmbH (AS) has further developed the latest version of its EFB-Software Solution called AS-FlightBag, which includes the core modules:1. Library: airline specific document management between ground

and cockpit;2. CrewBriefing: eOFP and all additional information necessary for

flight preparation;3. JourneyLog: dynamic flight data handling to and from the cockpit;4. TechLog: electronic work order with eSignature and connectivity to

several maintenance applications; 5. LeastCostRouting: minimization of data transfer costs between the

back office and the cockpit;6. PostFlightAnalysis: reporting of processes, efficiency and problems,

controlling, statistic etc.

It is also possible to deploy fully embedded third party applications such as performance tools and navigation applications like Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro and Lido eRoute-Manual as well as Cost-Index Operations from PACE.

COnneCTIVITyAs well as a high level of broad capability and functionality, AS-FlightBag offers great connectivity. All data (text files, databases, and technical parameters) are primary TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)based transferred via Wi-Fi, GPRS, Edge, 3G, LTE (4G) and IP-based SatCom. Data transfers via USB-Stick, Bluetooth or Iridium-Modem are possible, but less efficient. An optional least cost routing (LCR) table minimizes the transfer costs depending on urgency, A/C position and kind of value.

TeChLOgA further feature of AS-FlightBag is the TechLog module which contains the aircraft technical status and a workorder management including eMEL functionality. The eSignature function ensures authority for approved secured data transfer.

eFFICIenCy And SeCUrITy ThrOUghOUTWorkflow optimization leading to efficiency gain and cost reductions is the main objective for ASFlightBag 3.0 Suite. This is realized by a seamless information transfer between all participating functions in the airline, including operations control, cockpit, maintenance, back office, authorities and other parties. Trust center proven eSignatures can be assigned to all legal relevant activities and workflows and will ensure that paper based work can be substituted fully by electronic workflows.


AIRLINE CONTROL SOFTWAREAirline Control Software, LTD is a specialized IT company engaged in software development for the airline. The main product is the ACS System, consisting of 16 modules and designed for small and medium-sized airlines and covers in full all aspects of managing and supporting the airline.

AIRCORE_SYSTEMSaircore_systems develops software solutions for Linux, MS Windows and iOS operating systems, which optimize the communication between cockpit and back office. The EFB solution AS-FlightBag II serves as a framework which embeds and manages all EFB components installed on board.

AVIASOAviaso is an international software company developing products exclusively for the aviation industry. Aviasos focus is on complex, operational aviation topics such as Fuel Efficiency, EU-ETS, Aviation Reporting, and Crew Communication. Additionally, Aviaso has experience integrating aviation IT systems and also develops the Aviation Portal an intranet solution for aviation companies.

AVIOVISION N.V.AvioVision N.V. aims to bring innovative solutions to common problems identified in mission-critical industries (such as aviation), by facilitating integration of technologies in its products, combining them with operational excellence into smart solutions for front line and back-office staff.

BOEING SERVICESBoeing Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) helps customers maximize the lifetime value of their fleets and operations with comprehensive global support, e-enabled systems and consulting for greater maintenance and operational efficiency.

CAMBRIDGE INFORMATION GROUP (CIG) Cambridge Information Group is a family owned management and investment firm, primarily focused on information services, education and technology. CIG has been investing in and building companies for long-term success for over 40 years.

DAC INTERNATIONAL DAC International offers a wide range of avionics upgrade solutions for regional and major airlines, military and general and corporate aircraft, as well as MROs and OEMs worldwide.

ETS AVIATIONETS Aviation has specialized in fuelefficiency programs and emissions data management since 2009. The firm created Aviation FuelSaver software and consultancy program having launched a software and consultancy solution, Aviation Footprinter, for managing EU ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) requirements.

ExTERNALIS Externalis is a Belgian holding company which invests in companies focusing primarily on: technology and data processing; renewable energy; recycling and landfills; and soil decontamination.

FLATIRONS SOLUTIONSFlatirons Solutions is a system integrator specializing in full life cycle strategic consulting, systems and software engineering, digital asset management, dynamic publishing, and enterprise architecture solutions for commercial and government clients.

IFRSKEYESIFRSKEYES is a major player in the aviation industry, providing software and services solutions to airlines, defense operators and MROs for more than 25 years. Since 2011, it has become an AIRBUS company developing the next generation of products while supporting its current products which are AMASIS and KEOPS.

INFOTRUST GROUPInfoTrust Group delivers solutions to hundreds of companies, in the aerospace, defense, manufacturing, automotive, high-tech, publishing and health care industries for their information processing, conversion, authoring, content and change management, publishing and distribution objectives.

NAVTECH, INC.Navtech, Inc. provides flight operations solutions including aeronautical and other charts, with products that can be configured as part of an EFB. Products include aeronautical charts,

navigation data solutions, flight planning, aircraft performance software (take-off/landing, weight and balance), and crew planning solutions

SHEOREY DIGITAL SYSTEMS LTD.Sheorey Digital Systems Ltd. (SDS) is an InfoTech company specialising in Aviation and Information Management domains. The flagship product ARMS (Aviation Resource Management System) is an integrated, flexible

and scalable enterpriseclass software solution, designed for the Air Transportation industry.

VERONIS SUHLER STEVENSON (VSS) Veronis Suhler Stevenson is a private equity and debt capital fund management company investing in the business services, information, education, media, and marketing industries in North America and Europe.

WEB MANUALS SWEDENWeb Manuals Sweden AB helps the aviation industry attain increased control and improved efficiency in operational knowledge management, in collaboration with industry and regulatory entities.

Whos in the news: Vendors Whos in the news: Airlines, Aircraft, Operators, OEMs and infrastructure managersAER LINGUSAer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland whose primary mission is to connect Ireland with the world with its fleet of 56 aircraft operating from central airport locations in the UK, Europe and North America serving in excess of 11 million passengers annually direct to over 70 destinations in 24 countries worldwide.

AIRBUSAirbus is a manufacturer of passenger airliners, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. The company has design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain, and subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan and in the Middle East as well as an international network of customer support centers.

BRAATHENS REGIONALBraathens Regional, formerly Golden Air, is a Swedish regional airline based at Trollhttan-Vnersborg Airport, with a total of 11 bases in Sweden and Finland offering ACMI service all over Europe. Braathens Regional is part of the Braathens Aviation Group that includes Malm Aviation and Sverigeflyg among others.

BINGO AIRWAYSBingo Airways is a Polish charter airline flying Airbus A320 Aircraft. The airline focus destinations are Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Spain and Tunisia from Poland. The airline was founded in November 2011 and started flights on the 15 May 2012.

GULF HELICOPTERS COMPANY (GHC)GHCs fleet and engineering capabilities offer solutions for clients requirements with a focus on safety & performance. Whether offshore or onshore, GHCs Fleet of 41 Helicopters are configured to the highest standards for tasks including logistical support, seismic, under-slung, photo, VVIP transportation and medical support.

SKY AIRLINESky Airline is based in Santiago, Chile and is the second largest airline in the country behind rival LAN Airlines. It has international routes to Per, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil and operates under a semi-low cost model plus charter flights in Chile and South America.

SKYWORKSkyWork flies to 25 destinations all across Europe. SkyWork Travel is founded and offers customers a personal service centre for flight reservations and also complete holiday bookings. The fleet has recently tripled in size to include four Dornier 328s and three Dash 8 Q400s.

12 | WHITE PAPER: CLOSED LOOP | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | JUNE-JULY 2013

The problem with EFB implementation

Just because and EFB is a nice piece of equipment, says Captain Michael Bryan, Principal, Closed Loop Consulting,

doesnt mean its the right piece of equipment.

JUNE-JULY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | WHITE PAPER: CLOSED LOOP | 13

IN 1986, THE International Standards Organisation, ISO, created the Standard Generalised Mark-up Language, SGML, as a standard. ISO 8879:1986 was going to revolutionise the aviation industry. All manner of data interchange between manufacturers and airlines, and vice versa; the information within airlines and the manner of delivering it to the end-user was going to be radically improved; process efficiency was a given and huge savings numbers were tossed around like autumn leaves in the wind. It is now 2012 and as an industry, we wait still. Sure, there has been some incremental uptake of SGML or mostly the many derivatives of it, such as HTML and its many variants, and the more well known today, XML. However, so far, the great promise has failed to transform the industry.

Various proponents billed the Electronic Flight Bag, the EFB, with the same gusto over time. Itself a derivative or re-invention, the EFB promised big, but has so far failed to live up to its own press. Just like SGML before it, the struggle has not been driven by the ability of the technologies involved to enable the promises, rather the industrys ability to shift, to implement the change necessary to successfully implement them.

This essay critically examines some of this history. The same issues continue to cloud the benefits foreseen in EFB then. The author will posit some adjustment to perspective that may help to re-frame the view of the technologys potential, drive some fundamental change in the manner in which EFB is approached by the industry and hopefully deliver broader successes in EFB projects from here on.

PROMISES, PROMISESFirst things first; some boundaries for the discussion: the industry should be in no doubt that EFB, framed as enabler, like other technologies before it, is unequivocally, a tool for re-energising, re-engineering and revitalising the operational domains within an airline. Its potential value ranges broadly depending on the scope of various projects. Consider by way of example, one particular program that exemplifies the potential. Planned as a five year program, framed by a strategically specified collection of EFB capabilities, its business case delivered a financial benefit to the particular airline of $304,000,000 yes, thats three hundred and four million dollars. This figure was the discounted cash flow benefit, which means that inflationary aspects and the time value of money had

been accounted for in the cost-to-benefit analysis for the project. For those non-accounting people like me among us, the DCF (discounted cash flow)1 is a time-based measure of the project cash flows measured against the cost of capital. It has some limitations that bear more than a cursory glance. Nevertheless, what it means is simply this; this project was worth $304m more to the company than the do nothing option (more on that later) on day one of the project. This particular project exceeded 48% ROI (return on investment) and equated, at the time, to 1/3 of that company CEOs savings edict.

The value to the organisation was profound: the project provided a third of the pan-organisational savings that the CEO considered necessary to keep the airline in business. For all its potential and critical need, the project failed, suffering the loss of considerable sunk costs a convenient term for wasted money. The failure was not because of the technology, or difficulty integrating the various parts or the cost of them, but because the airline simply could not adjust its modus operandi and had not considered the degree of change necessary to make it work. In a nutshell, while there was nothing wrong with the technology, the airline just could not implement it that is, integrate the necessary change within the operational, administrative and day-to-day processes of the airline. This was a large, pan-organisational project. However, many others demonstrate similar ROI numbers in the planning stage. So for this discussion, lets put a lid on the question of value. EFB certainly does punch above its weight in terms of efficiency, saving and flexibility potentially.

Unfortunately, often mostly times, actually the promise is not delivered. When we speak to senior executives during our work with airlines, most can tell you exactly what a project cost; they can all discuss the ocean of sunk costs when projects fail, but so far, none has been able to articulate what the value of the project was supposed to be, or what it delivered after implementation. Indeed one executive recently bemoaned during our discussions that neither he nor anyone on the project team could articulate what the point of the project was, apart from that, it seemed a good idea and there was lots of potential down the road. This project was implemented. The true value to the organisation is still being assessed and so is the way that value will eventually be delivered. Is that the definition of an experiment?

In these situations, what is the point to the airline if there is no check on the project downstream of

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EFB, framed as enabler, like other technologies before it, is unequivocally, a tool for re-energising, re-engineering and revitalising the operational domains within an airline.


implementation? Indeed, what is the point of the whole project in the absence of an overarching strategy for it? If it was not worth it, what was the point of doing it? If there is no downstream review, how can the proper uptake of the change be measured just to see if it was indeed worth it? Then, what should be measured? The issues here are not isolated and are driven by differing perspectives.

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SOURCESIm a pilot. I want an EFB. Lets face it theyre cool arent they! Ive wanted one since the late 1980s when Boeing said I could get one for the B747-400. Then, it was called the Electronic Library System or ELS and it was intended as the vessel to contain all that intelligent data that was going to come from the SGML developments hang on; were still waiting. Again, there was a lot of promise although not about much as it turned out. The hyperbole from Boeing was that an airline could really do anything they wanted with the ELS. Except Boeing at the time did not really tell airlines what anything was, leaving them to figure it out for themselves in a bold new information revolution that the airlines struggled with for years. Nevertheless, Boeing did know the price. Like Connexions, another fantastic, ahead of its time idea, there was a vacuum in the detail of ELS. Execution and

airline-side implementation had not been contemplated let alone considered in the definition. The price tag, in the absence of any real consideration of the other side of the ledger and in the context of the absence of detail, simply scared the industry clear into the next century as it turned out.

Some explanation for this history stems from the manner in which various industry developments were framed in their beginnings. SGML was, and still is one of the most robust information enablers of our time. It has the strength of a standard and has by way of its derivative, HTML, delivered the World Wide Web, as most of us know it. However, the aviation industry was looking excitedly at SGML well before the web came into being. A few exceptional people realised its potential and took their ideas to IATA and ICAO through several forums. Soon after, the Air Transport association had constituted several committees to look into various use cases for the standard. These deliberations continued for many years but were beset by a fundamental lack of direction; that is, there was no business case, or program plan in advance for directing the way SGML was to be put to work for the industry. While there was significant and brilliant work done by some in these groups, there was a greater amount of time undertaken working through semantic differences between what the four main manufacturers at the time called the same widget, and working through the


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plethora differences in airline documentation and the many perceptions that the same thing was somehow really different.

There was a great confusion about whom, or what the end user of the resulting interchange standards would be, giving rise to similar experiences to the failed militarys CALS2 (Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support) initiatives of the same era. Membership of the committees caused focus to be argued between competing perspectives: manufacturers, who needed to streamline supporting documentation from various upstream suppliers and be able to channel that to airframe customers with minimal effort, reducing the mammoth task necessary to consolidate the same paper based material into their various aircraft manuals and airlines, who viewed the standard as being about saving time in the publication and amendment process but not considering the uses smart electronic data could be put to, and who also had a plethora of their own unique documentation to contend with. Indeed, most were focused on making sure it looked like the same piece of paper, which drove much of the debate for years. Eventually pilots got involved and wanted some functionality that gave them better access to information when and in the context in which it was required. Finally, the IT supplier community stepped up with a host of new technology that moved focus from the work of developing a standard form for data to enhance interchange between the manufacturers and within the airline, providing better outcomes for the end users, to the justification process and effort necessary to pay for the tools. This moved the focus to product rather than purpose and began a recursive cycle that lasted into the next century.

Then the worst happened. Someone had a new, better idea and SGML was passed over for HTML and XML. Technology advancement had rolled the work of decades. It continues today and, as we all know, the time between new iterations continues to narrow. The lack of planning and business needs evaluation meant the various committees drifted in direction with every change to group membership until technology passed them by. Sound familiar? It should.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EFB?The EFB development process to date has experienced similar forebodings, where competing perspectives drive unacceptable and unnecessary cost into projects and cause a focus on the product again, rather than the purpose of the EFB in the first place. As soon as a screw is turned on an aircraft to fit some new equipment, Engineering must own the project, no one can touch it; in some instances, it cannot even be updated without engineering allocating one of their own resources an incorrect assumption but nevertheless, one that confers control. It is after all an avionic device isnt it? The pilots want the gadget because of the perception that it is going to make their lives easier. What they wont tell you is that all they want is not to have to do the gazillions of amendments or lug 40 pounds of manuals around all day and be able to find information quickly, when they need it or be able to study more effectively to retain their licenses. So, Flight Operations has to own it right?

However, now we have a computer, not an instrument, on the plane so it must be controlled, approved, managed and maintained within the IT infrastructure and standards of the airline. To add to that complexity, only supported applications may be deployed within the airline. So now, the IT department really, really, should own the project and the processes, right? These are just a few of the different perspectives that EFB engenders in an airline and which all drive focus to the device and cloud the real raison dtre. EFB is an organisationally holistic3 tool. Its function is to enable change to business processes throughout the airline and provide business intelligence that empowers an airline to manage its situational circumstances for the better. Taken alone, the focus on the device renders it almost dead weight. Sure, the pilots love some of the devices, one in particular. However, extracting the inherent value is a bigger issue. Even if a particular device is now cheap and easy to acquire, it is not necessarily so cheap and easy to implement successfully; any more than any other particular approach.

The airline is now carrying more overhead in terms of weight on the aircraft, and fiscal drag of additional


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The pilots want the gadget because of the perception that it is going to make their lives easier. What they wont tell you is that all they want is not to have to do the gazillions of amendments or lug 40 pounds of manuals around all day and be able to find information quickly, when they need it.


lines of business and administrative overhead just so the boys and girls up front get a new toy on which to while away the hours playing angry birds. Unless there is a clear strategy in the first instance for what the airline wants the EFB to achieve, to enable, it is likely that the EFB will end up as an optional extra to ingrained processes, even when there are so many tools in the supplier side of the market through which considerable value can be extracted. On their own, they are not worth much, but integrated within the business in a raft of lean business processes, made possible and supported by holistically implemented enablers, like EFB, good things are possible and the savings illustrated earlier become possible, even routine.

BENEFITS AND RESULTSTo illustrate this point, lets look at performance, for many years a key tenet on the savings side of justifications for EFB. There have been many tomes written about the potential value of using just the right amount of thrust for a given set of conditions. These benefits take on a higher magnitude when the cumulative effects of performance adjustments are accounted for, when they become necessary, in well-developed performance applications compared with the page derived alternative. There are few such applications on the market. However, and significantly, not all are able to provide the granular detail when applying adjustments for MEL (minimum equipment

list) driven corrections and slap the same singular gross penalty as the paper alternative, rendering them a kitsch toy, but not enabling great change or value.

Then, there is the operational side. Because of the way these things work to deliver their finely tuned results, they require up to the minute environmental and aircraft condition weight and airworthiness data to provide optimal results, where the benefits occur. So when does the pilot run the calculation? The most ideal point for maximum benefit is near the holding point. Of course, as the aircraft approaches the holding point and becomes number one for departure, stopping to run a calculation on an EFB becomes impractical and risks the wrath of ATC and in some places, risks losing the slot, which can in many circumstances result in considerable delays. At the other end of the scale, running the calculation 30 to 45 minutes ahead of departure risks having to do it again if, actually when, the wind and temperature change or late changes occur to the aircraft weight because of fuel or payload.

To mitigate the need for last minute changes to the calculation, short cuts creep in to the operation. The weight is artificially inflated to cater for those last minute passengers or freight. Wind components are rationalised to be less favourable by random values, reducing the headwind or increasing the tailwind to ensure the prevailing wind at the time of take-off does not generate the need to run a re-calculation. Lastly, lets not forget the temperature and air pressure. One goes up and the other gets reduced to pad the result further and ensure a limiting take-off does not eventuate. However, thats just the point. These applications provide their benefits by creating a limiting take-off more or less. By the time the wheels are in the well, either poorly conceived software or random application of airmanship has blown all the potential benefit of such applications and then some out the exhaust pipe. There is a big gap between the potential and the reality of these applications.

EFB, A WARNINGA similar critical evaluation can, and should, be applied to every EFB application on the market when airlines go shopping. These gaps between the potential and the real delivered value can be reduced by rigorous strategic considerations regarding the purpose, rather than the product of a holistic EFB program. Yet, still, the industry persists in putting the cart before the horse and deciding to buy a certain piece of hardware because the price point happens to hit a sweet spot, irrespective of the rest of the program. Then, sometimes, a set of requirements is penned to justify the reasons for the decision. Perhaps a few apps are considered, purchased and loaded. Now, we have an EFB; right?

This is usually where someone such as Closed Loop is invited to begin discussions with an airline. The initial conversations go something like this:

Hi, Captain [name] here. Weve bought a bunch of [insert device here] and [insert supplier software applications here] because we want an EFB. But were not sure what to do next. Can you tell us? We have to develop some manuals and get some approvals and do a risk analysis and other stuff but all we want is an EFB. Can you tell us what to do?

I make light of it but many conversations do follow the theme if not the words. Our answers vary of course, depending on the details, but when we start asking questions to develop our response proposals, we are often met with figurative blank stares. Implementation considerations have suffered in the same way as the Boeing ELS of a quarter century ago. For all its potential value, to the very survival of an airline in some cases, successful EFB programs are not as simple as buying a piece of kit, loading up a couple of apps and switching it on: no matter how perceptively cheap and

There have been many tomes written about the potential value of using just the right amount of thrust for a given set of conditions. These benefits take on a higher magnitude when the cumulative effects of performance adjustments are accounted for

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easy the device, or how logical this app or the next. Deciding why or how after the event leaves no room to move, no room to negotiate and more often than not, means throwing potentially valuable technology at the status quo.

The why and how should lead to decisions about the device, not the other way around. This small yet vital nuance is just as important for the supplier-side as it is for the airline-side of projects no matter what the product.

Imagine airline x buying supplier ys stuff. No doubt, the suppliers hardware or software will do exactly as the supplier may stipulate. Nevertheless, what if the airlines perception of how it will operate in their environment has not been considered thoroughly? It happens. Then, what if some aspects of a supplier offering will not operate within the airline environment, especially when considered with other applications or hardware nuances of which supplier y is not aware? That happens more and drives the significant and benefit-robbing integration needs of EFB programs, no matter how deceptively simple some approaches may seem. The earlier these requirements are identified, the better for both sides. The answer is for airlines to have considered the purpose, all of it, before the product, and for the supplier side to be as insistent of the fit as the airline is insistent on its qualification criteria for the supplier. There is a fantastic array of capability in the supplier-side of the EEB market. Nevertheless, when implementations fail, airline management confidence in projects suffers, later projects do not get across the line and supplier orders dry up. Then there is the cost of internal and external relationships, which can be negatively affected for years to come.


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The answer is for airlines to have considered the purpose, all of it, before the product, and for the supplier side to be as insistent of the fit as the airline is insistent on its qualification criteria for the supplier.

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EFB, A BETTER WAY Consider an alternative approach. The airline considering an EFB begins the process with a rigorous analysis of its own status quo. This is the model for the do nothing option and it is vital for contrasting the value of potential conceptual outcomes. Then, an exercise in visualisation of the new way of doing things will develop the what if concepts. These what if moments should not concentrate on what if we had an EFB, but the many operational processes that contribute to the day-to-day and crisis operations. Gaps in the ability to simply change the process to something more efficient will likely be filled by technology, such as the EFB. Eventually, a minds-eye picture of the potential new way of doing business coalesces from which the requirements necessary to reach this Nirvana of operational efficiency and flexibility become clearer. Theses can then be developed into formal definitions on which both sides, airline and supplier, can depend to guide the technical and organisational transition. Moreover, development of robust operational conceptualisations facilitates development of the strategic processes or procedures necessary to ensure the right criteria are used to choose application functionality and identify the

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nuances of implementation ahead of time.

This approach will ensure potential benefit is translated to real savings, not blown out the exhaust pipe as in the performance example earlier. Sure, this approach might also mean that the supply-side has to work a bit harder than simply selling shank-wrapped software. However, the benefits to the industry will translate to more successful projects, leading to airlines seeing benefit in continual improvement from which we all benefit in terms of return and increased business, and easier and less costly working relationships with customers. On the airline side, the realisation that a bit of definition up front will save bigger amounts of the budget later (much bigger than the cost of figuring out why, the purpose, and a slice of the how before the what) and will bring much higher rates of project success to them will balance the approach. Both sides will be winners. navAero


NOT JUST EFB BUT A WHOLE APPROACHFrom its tentative, expensive and unclear beginnings a quarter century ago, the EFB has come of age. The market is replete with mature, almost commodity priced hardware, and a broad and growing inventory of specialist applications on which airlines could depend to base their newfound agility. However, the other message is just as stark; on its own, this great technology does not provide much value at all. Successful solutions rely on the airline having a strategic picture of what it is trying to achieve at the outset. Indeed, this strategy should rightly be the first step in a program. From the beginning, the benefit of following a structured methodology, perhaps conducting a zero-based audit to accurately define and analyse the status quo and to reflect current decisions, identifying potential overlap with other projects and building operational conceptualisations so that they can be distilled into appropriately detailed requirements, is an ideal first step. Requirements can then guide the supplier process, to solve issues before they begin, which is of great benefit for both sides. Development of an organisationally holistic, multi-tiered project plan, which accounts for the operational, training, regulatory needs and management of such a program, in addition to the technical aspects of the project, is also vital to success. All of these considerations guide the whole implementation and make the airline project holistic, not simply the acquisition of a bunch of stuff for which the true value may never be realised.

The EFB is an enabler of considerable benefit to airlines and to the industry. As the norm of constant change unfolds and the pace increases, leaning has given way to agility. Efficiency, flexibility and future requirements for fitting growing demand into scarcer resources will become a constant demand of operational management throughout the industry. Business processes must therefore be agile and adaptable and, most certainly, EFB is an enabler on which these requirements can be built.

However, just like the bridge down the road, the support towers are not considered in isolation of the rest of the structure. Yet, concentration on technology first and its purpose later has been a hallmark of two of the most potentially profound developments in the aviation industry in the last 25 years in terms of operational capability, efficiency and downright value to an airline. It is inconceivable that they have taken so long to develop. The foregone value will never be recovered. As an industry, we must find a better way of bringing developments such as digital data and the EFB to the industry, successfully and more quickly. The formula is the same for the industry as it is for an airline. Consideration of the business needs, a purpose and then the small matter of implementation.

The EFB remains an enabler, not a panacea. Its success is in the efficiency it facilitates for the business in smartly designed and integrated systems, driven by business need and, a focus on the business, not just the flight deck.

While most projects will not approach the pure quantum of the DCF discussed earlier, everyone can enjoy ROIs of a similar magnitude by changing nothing save perhaps a slightly different perspective. n

CAPT. MICHAEL BRYANPRINCIPAL, CLOSED LOOP

Captain Michael Bryan is the Principal of Closed Loop Consulting, an industry specialist consulting organisation focused on successful operational program

implementations, including EFB. Closed Loop has provided services to Sabre during the first Sabre EFB program. With extensive operational experience including over 16,000 hours flying time on most of Boeings fleet, Michael now commands the A380. He has participated in several industry committees and forums over the past 30 years, including tenure as Chair of the ATA/AIA Flight Operations Working Group and is still active on ARINC, ICAO and IATA forums related to, among other things, EFB and its proper standing and recognition within the industry.

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FOOTNOTES1 Discounted Cash Flow (or Net Present Value)7, http://

public.s1000d.org/Pages/Home.aspx 2 The CALS acronym subsisted for many years, although

it was variously known by different definitions relating to managing data from different suppliers about the component level make up and maintenance of military hardware. It failed after over a decade of specification creep and the lack of tools to manage the information appropriately.

3 Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.

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Live iPad / EFB Operations Manuals Masterclass and Software Demo Webinar (inc. iPad XML smart content)

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RegisteR to attend this Webinar and join the industry experts at Ovidius for this excellent live Operations Manuals masterclass and software demonstration. The Webinar will show you the modern way to manage your Operations Manuals and to deliver them to flight crew in a way a pilot should expect them to be in print, on iPad, tablet PC or EFB device.

Using a live demonstration of the ground-breaking TCToolbox Airline Edition Software Solution as a guide you will taken on a step-by-step guide to managing your flight operations manuals and related company documentation; from creation to distribution to the flight crew, thereby hugely increasing efficiency across the entire Flight Operations Department:

Step 1. Creation: You will see how to create audit-proof manuals; comply with strict safety and traceability standards and manage the constant revisions. Ovidius will then introduce you to the benefits of smart content/manuals by using XML based content instead of standard PDF - you will see how this format can dramatically improve efficiency and the options you have for distribution.

Step 2a. iPad Distribution: Once you have created your Operations manuals, you will then see how to publish / distribute them in the most efficient method to the flight crew. The first demonstration will take you on a tour of the TCToolbox iPad App and show you how pilots can access both PDF and XML manuals, track pilot acknowledgement of updated content thus facilitating regulatory compliance, search for required documents, add bookmarks and enter personal notes.

Step 2b. EFB Distribution: In addition to the iPad Demonstration, you will see how pilots can have all the iPad App functionality and more besides by accessing the manuals via their EFB devices.The Webinar will show you how by providing

flight crew and other key personnel with these key manuals in an effective and efficient manner can increase efficiency across the entire Flight Operations Department but most specifically for both the teams managing information and the pilots using it.

AGENDA: Two companies one mission. An Introduction to Ovidius and EasyBrowse; What should pilots expect from modern electronic Manuals?; A Live Demonstration of Operations Manual Creation; A Live Demonstration of the TCToolbox iPad App for Distribution; Live Demonstration of the TCToolbox EFB Distribution; What are the external and internal drivers for change?; What does this mean for authors and stakeholders?; and Q&A.

RegisteR to attend this Webinar for a live demonstration and masterclass of a fully integrated Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) and Flight Operations IT software solution. Via a live demonstration of Sheorey Digital Systems (SDS) popular and powerful end-to-end ARMSv2 software solution, you will see how by using one integrated IT software solution, it is possible can drive the seamless sharing of critical data company-wide to deliver huge increases in efficiency with significantly lower IT costs.The Webinar will drill down further and take you

on a live tour of some key modules and you will see how these solutions can provide excellent results as stand alone systems, but more benefits by plugging into the fully integrated IT mainframe. The live software demonstrations will be of the ARMSvs2 EFB / ETL and Safety & Quality solutions.

June, July and August 2013 will bring further tremendous opportunities for readers to attend programs covering leading Operations manuals, integrated MRO and Operations software, EFB and Document management software solutions available on the market today. If you need to know more about either topic, youll save a great deal of time and gain a lot of what youll need to know to inform a good decision by simply attending these informative webinars.And remember that if you miss a webinar or are reading this after the live webinar has run, you can still access all of the benefits through a recording of the event go to www.aircraftit.com/Operations/Webinars/Past.aspx for how to do that.

JUNE-JULY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | WEBINARS | 21

n SeSSion 1: 25th July 2013 - 06:30 GMT/UTCn SeSSion 2: 25th July 2013 - 15:00 GMT/UTCn Duration: 1 hour plus Q&A.

n SeSSion 1: 29th August 2013 - 06:30 GMT/UTCn SeSSion 2: 29th August 2013 - 15:00 GMT/UTCn Duration: 1 hour plus Q&A.

AVIOBOOK EFB Software Demonstration Webinar (for iPad, tablets and cockpit-installed units)

Logipad - Live iPad EFB Management Software Demonstration Webinar

INTERACTIVEJOIN THE WEBINARCLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL DETAILS AND SIGN UP FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR

INTERACTIVEJOIN THE WEBINARCLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL DETAILS AND SIGN UP FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR

RegisteR to attend this Webinar and join Logipad for a live demonstration of their iPad EFB Management Solution inc. Documentation Management, eReporting, Web-Interfaces, Device Management, Policy Distribution. The Webinar concentrates in detail on the iPad functionality including a Live Demonstration of the App and Ground Infrastructure communication process. The live iPad App demonstration will focus on the

following: Document Managment App Distribution eReporting Web-Interfaces Device Management Policy Distribution Push Notifications Compliance Reports

RegisteR to attend this Webinar and join AvioVision for a live demonstration of their EFB Software - AVIOBOOK, designed for a variety of platforms, online and offline, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets, iPads and cockpit-installed units.

During the Webinar you will be taken on a tour of the system and see a live demo of the extensive functionality including: Briefing, Weight & Balance, charts, performance, documentation library, pilot portal, reports and lots more.This Webinar therefore provides you with the perfect

platform to view a live demo of a leading, multi-functioning EFB software solution and see how a paperless cockpit can become a reality. If you already operate EFBs you can see how AVIOBOOK compares to your current software or if you are new to EFB technology you can attend simply to learn more about EFBs and the operational and company-wide benefits they can provide.

22 | CASE STUDY: CONDOR | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | JUNE-JULY 2013

Saving Fuel at CondorCaptain Frank Lumnitzer, Head of Fuel-, Environmental- and Air Traffic Management at Condor (Thomas Cook Airlines Group) explains how he started and manages the fuel efficiency improvement program at Condor.

FUEL COSTS REPRESENT between 30% and 40% of an airlines total cost; and thats true at Condor as well. Therefore, even small fuel savings have a huge impact on financial performance. In past years, Condor had implemented several of the obvious and easier fuel efficiency improvement initiatives; so, overall we could be proud that Condor was already doing well regarding implementing best practices in fuel conservation. Nevertheless, the management of Condor asked my team to look for more opportunities. We started our enhanced activities in 2011 and have identified further savings opportunities amounting to more than 2.4% of our total fuel bill. So far, the program is progressing well inasmuch as we have already realized more than half of these savings.

We would like to first share our view concerning how best to start a fuel efficiency improvement program. Then offer an overview of the most common fuel savings initiatives. Finally, we would like to describe what we consider important when identifying fuel savings opportunities and how to best manage fuel savings initiatives.

HOW TO STARTWe cannot stress it enough a successful fuel efficiency improvement program is a team effort. The best fuel efficiency expert will fail if working alone and not in a team including people from all relevant areas of the airline. Nevertheless, there is no single solution applicable to each airline. The structure and culture of an airline are major elements influencing the right way.

In our experience the following three ingredients are required to make a successful fuel efficiency program: First the know-how about fuel conservation, then the proper organization including processes, and last but not least good software tools to manage fuel conservation efforts.

KNOW-HOW A lot of good fuel efficiency know-how is already available: the IATA Fuel Book (Guidance Material and Best Practices for Fuel and Environmental Management) makes good reading. Additionally, nearly all aircraft manufactures have published documentation describing ways to save fuel. Obviously, your own know-how is still very important, but the bulk of common initiatives has been well documented.

ORGANIzATION AND PROCESSESA fuel efficiency program is only successful if the efforts are led by a strong and empowered team. One

requirement before establishing the team is the clear will, mandate, and support from top management to really save fuel. Obviously, no management will object to fuel saving: however, will management support be retained if procedures maybe used for years need to be adjusted? All fuel efficiency improvement programs will face such issues. Things need to be adjusted in order to save and, as you probably will agree based on your own experience, people can be very creative in finding all kinds of reasons why things should not change.

In our experience, the optimal way to convince management, and, eventually, all those involved, is to be able to provide clear data driven facts. Therefore, it is crucial to have full transparency regarding how fuel is used and to be able to clearly show the potential savings.

The usual principles of change management should be followed in order to initiate the change of process and behavior of people. There is a lot of good general advice available on this topic. In the case of Condor, we put the focus on communication with all those involved and on having all areas of the airline represented in our fuel efficiency team.

SOFTWAREAt Condor the low-hanging fruits have already been picked. In order to get more fuel savings, we had to have a better understanding of how we really use our fuel. In the past we have used several Excel spreadsheets. However, the problem was that we had to first spend (or rather waste) our time collecting the required data from all kinds of data sources. After collecting the available data, even more time was wasted in checking the data and either eliminating or fixing wrong data. Anybody having already done such a program probably agrees that this is a lot of work. Even more important, if we do not eliminate or fix the wrong data, we potentially make wrong analyses. This can lead to wrong conclusions or even loss of credibility if our analyses turn out to have major errors. An additional complication at Condor is that strong union restrictions prevent Condor from using FDM data.

The good news is that there are a number of fuel efficiency software applications available today. At Condor and the Thomas Cook Group of Airlines, we evaluated several software applications, finally, choosing software from Aviaso Inc.

We would like to have the best possible transparency, therefore, we integrate all the data sources containing data which influence fuel. Obviously, this is not just

We cannot stress it enough a successful fuel efficiency improvement program is a team effort. The best fuel efficiency expert will fail if working alone and not in a team

JUNE-JULY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | CASE STUDY: CONDOR | 23

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Aircraft IT Operations Volume 2 Issue 4

Due out: August 2013

The latest IT Operations NewsAirport Database

How it can help with safety, performance and fuel management.

Using and EFB end-to-end solutionHow it was implemented and what has been the experience of using it.

Implementing a Fuel Management programHow easy was it to implement and what benefits have been gained.

Crew fatigue schedulingLooking after the people while getting the best return on their work time.

The World according to IT & Me!Paul Saunders column: taking a different view of your world.

Webinars

Links to past webinars and guides to upcoming webinars.

Look out in early Aug

Documents

Aircraft IT Ops