November 04, 2009
Electronic flight bag reduces costs and workload in the cockpit
Lufthansa Systems today announced that it has successfully implemented its Lido/FlightBag electronic cockpit communication platform for Croatia Airlines. The first scheduled Croatia Airlines flight to carry the EFB solution, an Airbus A320, took off in early October. Thirty of the Croatian national carrier’s pilots are now using the electronic flight bag. Following a several-month operational approval phase with the Croatian aviation authorities, the airline will begin using Lido/FlightBag throughout its fleet for routine operations. Lido/FlightBag will significantly reduce costs for Croatia Airlines and it will also ease the workload in the cockpit, contributing to even greater flight safety.
Croatia Airlines is using Lido/FlightBag as a so-called Class 1 EFB solution on laptop computers. The airline is the first to have an interface from Lido/FlightBag to the NetLine/Crew crew management system. This means that when the cockpit crew logs in to NetLine/Crew on the laptop for its briefing, the crew’s personal data is automatically transferred to Lido/FlightBag. While the pilot downloads the briefing documents, all navigation charts and other information can be automatically updated if necessary. Shortly before the flight, the crew calculates the take-off speed with Lido/TakeOff. During the flight, they can view details about the planned route, NOTAMS and other information in the Electronic Flight Folder, as the so-called library contains all operating manuals in a clearly structured and easy-to-access electronic form.
"We would like to congratulate Croatia Airlines on the successful start of operations with Lido/FlightBag, which highlights the excellent cooperation between our companies. Lido/FlightBag will simplify processes and reduce costs, and its integration with the other Lufthansa Systems solutions being used by Croatia is already paying off,” said Marc Szepan, Senior Vice President Airline Operations Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. Depending on the size of their fleet, airlines can save up to USD 4.3 million each year by using Lido/FlightBag.
By implementing the EFB, Croatia Airlines has continued its efforts to integrate technological advancement into its operational business processes, making use of all the advantages that new technologies bring to everyday business operations. This project will have a direct positive impact on the airline's business.
In addition to streamlining flight preparation processes and flight documentation management, another benefit will be a more precise and faster preflight calculation of aircraft performances. Croatia Airlines will also benefit from the exchange and integration of all the necessary operating data in a single location, such as flight plans, weather forecasts, information on the air space situation, navigation data and company information. “It is important to stress here that this project represents a continuation of a set of activities undertaken by Croatia Airlines in order to preserve the environment through reduced fuel consumption, reduction of harmful gas emissions and a considerable cut in paper consumption,“ said Miljenko Radic, Executive Vice President Operations at Croatia Airlines.
Croatia Airlines, a long-standing Lufthansa Systems customer, already uses the Lido/Flight flight planning solution, NetLine/Crew, LoadControl for weight & balance, and online check-in for passenger handling.
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.
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Lufthansa Systems AG
Sandra Hammer
Corporate Communications
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