Summary
- British Airways is switching to digital maintenance logs, saving paper, and expediting engineering procedures.
- The brand new digital system, called E-Logs, provides real-time data on aircraft performance.
- The usage of specialist iPads ensures clear communication and is an element of a wider investment program.
In an aviation industry where decisions are increasingly being driven by aspects referring to sustainability, it will possibly be the little things that make a giant difference. With this in mind, British Airways is switching to digital maintenance logs, which, in addition to saving a plane-load of paper, may also expedite engineering procedures.
Faster troubleshooting
As detailed by British Airways earlier this week, the brand new system is often known as E-Logs, and its advantages extend far beyond the 900,000+ pieces of paper that it saves yearly. In response to the UK flag carrier, it’s now capable of profit from real-time data provided by the brand new digital system, which tracks aircraft performance on a fleet-wide basis. This permits BA to get ahead of the sport with maintenance.
Specifically, the Heathrow-headquartered national airline and oneworld founding member can use this live digital data to identify issues as and even before they arise. Such early diagnostic procedures mean that the aircraft involved will be repaired sooner, which reduces downtime and gets them back into the skies quicker.
Photo: Stuart Bailey | British Airways
A key profit is that pilots can log issues live inflight, meaning that the relevant maintenance teams have advanced warning of the character of the issue before the plane arrives. In instances where recent or alternative components are required, this offers the teams a headstart relating to ordering them.
A more modern solution
Before the implementation of this recent strategy, aircraft maintenance logs were kept on paper, which British Airways describes as “.” Previously, pilots would transcribe aircraft issues by hand, with the logs then being transferred to maintenance teams, who would perform the tasks and update the sheets in writing. Andy Best, BA’s Chief Technical Officer, stated that:
“Our investment in progressive tools like this, means we are able to support our teams to discover and put solutions in place ahead of time. By replacing time-consuming manual processes with digital technology we’re continuously improving the reliability of our aircraft fleet and consequently our customers’ experience.”
![British Airways, Airbus A380, Maintenance](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Wing-View.png)
Maintaining A Giant – Inside The British Airways Airbus A380
Photo: Stuart Bailey | British Airways
With the intention to enable this transition from a paper-based system to a digital one, British Airways is placing “” onboard each of its aircraft. Alongside the varied aforementioned advantages, the usage of these tablets also ensures that a pilot or engineer’s handwriting just isn’t misunderstood.
A part of a wider investment program
Because it happens, this switch is definitely a part of a wider operational transformation, during which British Airways is investing some £7 billion ($8.81 billion). In response to the airline, this can see various forms of recent technology rolled out over the following two years, which Best says will “.”
What do you make of BA’s shift to a digital log system? Have you ever ever visited an airline’s maintenance facility? Tell us your thoughts and experiences within the comments!