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All-in one EFB solution
Lufthansa Systems links crew management data to Lido/FlightBag
Real-time access to all relevant operational data is one of the major assets of an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Lido/FlightBag from Lufthansa Systems is an electronic platform that replaces the contents of a pilot’s flight bag and connects an airline’s onboard system with the ground operation. The solution integrates a variety of applications for the paperless planning and operation of flights, such as the electronic navigation charts Lido/eRouteManual and Lido/TakeOff to calculate optimal take-off settings. In order to enhance the EFB as the main information and communication tool of a pilot, Lufthansa Systems has now integrated its crew management solution NetLine/Crew with Lido/FlightBag. This way the cockpit crew has access to their duty roster as well as to the operational schedule on their laptop.
As soon as the cockpit crew starts their flight preparation with Lido/FlightBag, they can also check-in for that flight via NetLine/Crew CrewLink. NetLine/Crew automatically recognizes the next scheduled flight and provides the crew with updates to their schedule. The system delivers all necessary information for the next rotation to Lido/FlightBag. Having received the flight number by NetLine/Crew, the pilot can now download all briefing information prepared by the flight planning system and starts the flight preparations. Thanks to the integration of the data to a standardized structure, the pilot finds all briefing information in the clear structure of our Electronic Flight Folder (EFF). It contains the operational flight plan, weather charts, NOTAMs as well as detailed crew briefing information by NetLine/Crew. Whether the flight deck crew clicks on roster information or weather charts – the EFF centrally provides the data from both the flight planning and the crew management solution in the same look and feel.
Analog to using paper, the EFF offers the possibility to create annotations and set bookmarks. On top of that, the EFB-system takes care that the flight number, aircraft registration, minimum and maximum weights are automatically available throughout all EFB-applications. The access to the crew management system as well as to the ground portal of Lido/FlightBag in the flight operations department is only available via an encrypted data connection. On top of that, predefined server-connections guarantee that only authorized data can be downloaded on the laptop.
New IOCC Platform feature enhances airline efficiency
Lufthansa Systems’ Integrated Control Panel provides a real-time overview of operational stability
Come wintertime, the operations control team of an airline has to deal with much more irregularities. Fog, snow and icy conditions can heavily affect flight operations. Lufthansa Systems has recently introduced its Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC) Platform which gives airlines a comprehensive view on all operational matters. In case of disruption, it enables the operations control manager to make better decisions and get back to normal operations faster. Now another innovative feature of the IOCC Platform has taken off: the Integrated Control Panel (ICP). The ICP is a unique virtual operations control center only available from Lufthansa Systems. It combines all relevant operational data on one screen, visualizing the airline’s current operational stability. Operations controllers can thus make better decisions based on the overall situation rather than isolated problems. Managers are alerted as soon as small disruptions emerge so they can take action before these disruptions affect the entire network. This approach reduces inconveniences and delays for passengers, and it mitigates the resulting costs for the airlines. Crews might come in late from a preceding flight, an aircraft might undergo unscheduled maintenance, and last-minute schedule changes might occur due to the weather - all these and more scenarios can be dealt with using the ICP. This is an important reason why the IOCC Platform can reduce overall disruption-caused costs by up to 3%, while also improving passenger satisfaction. The panel monitors many individual parameters such as punctuality, delays, crew availability and late aircraft arrivals. Data is presented in two categories. In addition to traditional key performance indicators (KPI), the panel shows key disruption indicators (KDI). While KPIs give an important overview of the level of target fulfillment for a defined period of time, such as “Punctuality during last week”, KDIs focus on the current state of operations. The KDI for “Departure delays”, for instance, monitors incoming delays, late deadhead crews, unavailable aircraft cleaners and the like. In other words, KDIs provide an early-warning system for the operations controller. As a central part of the IOCC Platform, the ICP receives all data in real time and completely synchronized with the IOCC components. Therefore operations controllers can monitor, analyze and solve upcoming problems efficiently. This gives airlines an important competitive edge in terms of fast decisions. As the winter months are the toughest for airline operations, the IOCC Platform ensures their economic effects are limited.
The IOCC Platform is the first integrated IT platform able to control and monitor all aspects of airline operations which are closely interlinked in practice, including schedule management, operations control, crew management, flight planning and weight & balance. IOCC users can optimize their flight operations and generate significant cost savings. All five IOCC components IOCC/Sched, IOCC/Crew, IOCC/Ops, IOCC/Flight and IOCC/Load are based on market-leading Lufthansa Systems products which are already in service at more than 80 airlines.
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