The business segment Airline Flight Support

Optimal flight operations require high-quality data and system support. The business segment Airline Flight Support offers a range of solutions that from the foundation necessary to smoothly conduct a flight. Navigation from the departure to the destination airport is a central process which makes flight execution possible. Sound flight preparation is a key prerequisite of navigation. This includes route planning, programming the autopilot in the cockpit and using charts which are tailored to a specific flight. Lufthansa Systems uses innovative IT technology to support all eFlight processes. In order to reduce costs and improve operational flexibility, all solutions efficiently integrate aeronautical data, systems and work processes. The solutions focus on improving flight performance by maximizing payload, reducing fuel consumption and optimizing aircraft utilization.

Complex database as a foundation of innovative IT solutions
All IT solutions provided by the business segment Airline Flight Support build on the Lido navigation database. Developed and continually updated by Lufthansa Systems, this database contains all the aeronautical information available worldwide. The database meets the most exacting requirements in terms of accuracy and data integrity. Complete and up-to-date data ensure the quality of the IT solutions that are generated from this database or connected to it via interfaces.

Optimized route planning with Lido OC
Lido Operation Center (Lido OC) uses this database to calculate the best possible route. The product has set a new benchmark for flight preparation and operations. The automatic calculation of routes based on the criteria of time, cost or distance takes into account flight-related information such as weather data and all current aeronautical restrictions like NOTAMs. This separates Lido OC clearly from other systems that are available on the market. Lido OC enables customers to store both general and airline-specific aeronautical information in the database. Lido OC offers comprehensive customer service with the Lido Helpdesk, which is available 24/7 to provide support for technical and practical questions. Following the example of major airlines such as Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and British Airways, the Latin American airline TACA also opted for the powerful Lido OC solution in July 2004.

Cockpit flight information
Once the planning phase is completed, all information has to be made available to the pilot in a clear and easy-to-use format. For this purpose, Lufthansa Systems has developed a Crew Briefing System which provides all operational flight information and supports the cockpit crew in preparing for their flight. The system, called Lido Briefing, offers a convenient and secure way of making briefing documents available over the Internet to a select group of individuals from anywhere in the world. Lido Briefing proved so beneficial to Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines that it is now being used successfully by other airlines as well.

The autopilot's memory
To ensure that all relevant data are available to the autopilot during the flight, the Lido FMS database "briefs" the autopilot. The Lido FMS database contains specially prepared data for takeoff and approach. According to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations, the customers of Lufthansa Systems receive an updated FMS database once every 28 days, which is customized to their specific aircraft types and planned routes. More than 110 airlines are already benefiting from using the Lido FMS database (Flight Management System). In addition to airlines such as British Airways, Emirates, Swiss and Thai Airways, U.S.-based carriers Air Tran and Independence Air have also joined the fold of Lido FMS customers in the summer of 2004.

Technological innovation in the cockpit
Lido Route Manual for conducting a flight is the latest product of the Airline Flight Support business segment of Lufthansa Systems. Lufthansa Systems breaks new ground in database-aided chart generation with this tool, which is based on a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS charts differ considerably from the charts previously produced by CAD tools because they are no longer drawn manually but generated electronically from the Lido navigation database. The integration makes it possible to include any and all changes made in the database in the next updated version of all relevant charts. Highlights of the charts, which are drawn to scale and are oriented magnetic north up, include a clean and uncluttered design, clear color-coding and self-explanatory symbols. The Airport Facility Chart is a completely new feature of the product. This chart provides pilots with an overview of all possible approach and takeoff procedures at a given airport and also includes additional information regarding radio frequencies, runway beaconing or miss approach procedures. The Airport Ground Chart is displayed on the chart's back side. Used in combination with the on-board flight management system, this sheet would in principle enable pilots to approach any airport in the world. Lufthansa Systems prepares these charts especially for commercial carriers including Lufthansa, which has been using the new charts since September. After just four weeks, fifty percent of all of Lufthansa's takeoffs and landings worldwide are being carried out with the new airport charts. The experts from Lufthansa Systems worked hand in hand with airline pilots to develop this product.

On the way to a paperless cockpit
eRoute Manual, the electronic display of the Lido Route Manual, turns the paperless cockpit into reality. In the cockpit, pilots can thus electronically access both static and dynamic charts. Static charts are electronic copies of paper charts. They are generated from the database using the GIS production tool. To keep the number of paper chart pages to a minimum, several approach and takeoff procedures are combined. In contrast, dynamic charts are generated directly from the database and displayed electronically by the eRoute Manual application. Pilots can select the specific procedure and data to be displayed. The FMS database is directly connected to the aircraft's flight management system, allowing for the display of positioning data on a given chart section. Supporting familiar reading conventions, the so-called read-right principle ensures that text and figures are always presented horizontally even if the charts are flipped upside down.
The pilot can work with the electronic chart in a number of ways, e.g. by using it to display additional flight support information, by zooming in or out, or by turning the chart north up or track up. The eRouteManual is currently in trials with several customers in Europe, America and the Middle East. In spring 2004, Airbus Industries and Lufthansa Systems signed a memorandum of understanding according to which Lufthansa Systems will provide the Lido eRoute Manual on all Airbus aircraft types.

Technology pioneer
By basing all innovative solutions from its Airline Flight Support business segment on the Lido navigation database, Lufthansa Systems ensures maximum integration of all its products. This enables airlines to optimize flight operation processes in terms of cost-efficiency, speed and safety. Lufthansa System will push ahead this integration further in the future. With IT solutions such as Lido Route Manual and Lido electronic Route Manual, Lufthansa Systems sets new standards in the airline support market and will continue to expand its role as a technology pioneer in this sector.