IndiGo Pilots Go Paperless

Friday, 4th September 2015 at 16:14pm

Pilots of IndiGo now have access to lighter, more up-to-date flight manuals as they shift to electronic manuals.

India's leading airline has installed electronic flight bag (EFB) devices on all its aircrafts and according to airline President/CEO Aditya Ghosh, forthcoming deliveries will also be installed with the same device.

Reportedly, other airlines like Jet Airways, SpiceJet, GoAir and Air India will replicate what IndiGo has done.

In the case of Jet Airways, it will install EFBs on all aircrafts used for domestic flights but will do so one step at a time. Right now it is working on the requirements set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Meanwhile, SAnjiv Kapoor SpiceJet's COO said that it plans to install tablet computers in its aircrafts but did not disclose info regarding estimated target dates.

SpiceJet has reportedly met with a couple of IT firms for the purchase of EFB devices.

Aside from having easy access to aircraft data stored in the EFBs, pilots can also use the device to compute for other valuable data including payload, speed, distance, and other info needed for take-off as well as for landing.

According to the IT experts who requested anonymity, aircraft manuals are supposed to be up-to-date all the time so having ESBs on board is the perfect solution to a faster updating process.

Meanwhile, Ghosh said that these devices boost safety, citing that EFB-aided calculations are proven to turn out more accurate results.

IndiGo will be using two iPads so backup is available in case of equipment failure. Software provider AirWatch supplies the airline with the necessary software to ensure that iPads are updated and info are secured.

On the other hand, Jeppesen provides navigational data while Airbus' software covers calculations concerning performance accuracy and load factor.

Meantime, CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer of GoAir said that the airline will commence using the device hopefully by next year.

Air India is also contemplating on installing EFBs.

Major international air carriers such as American Airlines, Lufthansa and American Airlines have long been using the device to aid their flights.

By: Pete Lee.