May 26, 2009
Integrated flight operations control helps airlines save money
Integrated IT platforms are the future of the airline industry. Because they generate synergies and can be continually adapted and expanded, they offer airlines much greater economic benefits than standalone systems. Lufthansa Systems has implemented this concept in its Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC), which represents a new generation of IT solutions.
Flight operations are a highly complex system which involves controlling the deployment of aircraft, pilots and flight attendants and calculating flight routes, payloads and fuel requirements in a very dynamic environment. At the same time, all operational activities must meet the requirements of the flight plan, comply with a number legal and contractual regulations and make the best use of expensive resources. These individual elements are linked to each other in various ways. Operational tasks are difficult enough under normal conditions, but they become a real challenge when the airways are congested, bad weather hinders flight operations, or a flight has to be canceled for technical reasons.
It would be impossible to control flight operations without sophisticated IT solutions. The IOCC from Lufthansa Systems is a scalable platform solution which offers airlines long-term investment security. The integrated modules of the IOCC platform cover all aspects of airline operations, including operations control, network management, crew planning, flight scheduling, route planning and weight & balance. Lufthansa Systems is the only provider to offer all of the necessary components, services and IT operations from its own portfolio.
IOCC pays off within just one year
Model calculations based on specific customer usage scenarios show that even a medium-sized network airline with 90 aircraft can save 31.8 million US dollars a year by using the IOCC. “Customers see a return on investment just one year after the first components go into operation,” said Wolfgang F.W. Gohde, CEO of Lufthansa Systems AG. “This shows how our innovative solutions can help our customers cope with the current economic crisis.” The airline industry as a whole could save well over one billion US dollars a year with the IOCC.
Optimized crew planning alone can reduce costly overtime and increase employee productivity to save around 10 million US dollars, while improving flight regularity and punctuality can generate additional revenues of 9.8 million US dollars. Since decisions can be made better and faster with the IOCC when flight operations are disrupted, the solution lowers rebooking, hotel and passenger compensation costs by 4 million US dollars. Improved coordination between aircraft maintenance and flight operations can save an additional 8 million US dollars. These figures do not include the fuel savings of up to 5 percent which can be achieved by calculating the optimal route for each flight using Lido OC, one of the modules in the IOCC.
Faster, better decisions
The platform offers tremendous economic advantages. All of the necessary information is delivered consistently in a standardized interface, so everyone involved in flight operations can respond more quickly and make better decisions in the event of operational irregularities. This leads to more efficient teamwork, with everyone focusing on the really decisive issues, weighing up the alternatives and taking a proactive role. In many cases, this makes it possible for airlines to limit the effects of disruptions in advance and return to normal flight operations much more quickly, even after serious interruptions – with lower costs and less impact on passengers.
Since regional airlines have different requirements to network carriers or low-cost airlines, the IOCC has a modular design, like all of Lufthansa Systems’ other integrated IT platforms. This allows it to be customized precisely to fit the needs of individual airlines and introduced in stages to suit the financial and organizational situation of the customer.
Around 80 airlines worldwide are already optimizing their flight operations on a daily basis with individual modules from the IOCC in order to conserve resources, lower costs and ensure that as many passengers as possible reach their destination on time – even when the weather or air traffic control conspires against their operational plans.
Note to editors:
Lufthansa Systems is one of the leading IT service providers for the airline and aviation industries worldwide. As a systems integrator with one of the most modern data centers in Europe, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group covers the entire range of IT services, including consulting, the development and implementation of industry solutions as well as system operation. Lufthansa Systems provides its infrastructure and consulting services to a variety of industries. Headquartered in Kelsterbach near Frankfurt/Main, Germany, the company has offices in Germany and 16 other countries and employs about 3,000 people worldwide. In business year 2008, Lufthansa Systems recorded sales of EUR 657 million.
For further information, please contact:
Lufthansa Systems AG
Sandra Hammer
Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49 (0)69 696 90776
Fax: +49 (0)69 696 90777
E-mail: publicrelations@LHsystems.com