Flying into another dimension with 4D route planning from Lufthansa Systems
Nowadays the use of information technology is indispensable for a plane to find the right path in the skies. But as the amount of traffic up there keeps increasing, the processes involved are becoming more complex - and the demands on flight planning IT are growing. The Lido Operations Center (Lido OC) flight planning solution has been a preferred choice for 34 airlines in the industry for many years now. The solution checks whether there are any flyover restrictions on particular routes at certain times. Now Lido OC also takes time-related route restrictions into consideration, entering the fourth dimension with 4D flight planning.
With four-dimensional route planning, planners can determine much more precisely where a flight will be at a given time. In flight planning, distinctions are made between two-, three- and four-dimensional optimization. With so-called 2D optimization, flight routes are calculated based on a predetermined distance and the altitude. In this two-dimensional space, planners can optimize flights with regard to fuel consumption and overall costs. However, nearly all flight planning systems already use 3D optimization, and very few are even using 4D optimization - including Lido OC. 3D makes it possible to take current air streams into account when calculating a route. For example, with a strong tailwind, even a considerable detour can lead to a shorter flying time and lower fuel consumption. Lido OC is currently the only 4D planning solution to use speed in the calculations, while considering short-term, time-related airspace or airport restrictions.
The savings resulting from using Lido OC are considerable. Huge savings potential occurs on an international flight from Germany to the west coast of United States. While 3D optimization is used to take current wind parameters into account, there is an even bigger potential for savings by accounting for time-related restrictions as well, as the flight can be shortened by a few more minutes, resulting in additional fuel reductions. All this can amount to a cost reduction between USD 7,000 and USD 9,000 for a B747-400, depending on the actual weather as well as time- related restrictions.
It’s clear that cost pressures as well as environmental concerns will make the use of a sophisticated route planning IT even more mandatory in the future for airlines in order to stay competitive. The Lido OC solution equips them to tackle any challenges that might lie ahead.
SkyConnect: Keeping Airlines in touch with the world
In today’s competitive environment, airlines all over the world are constantly facing crucial decisions to make or buy certain assets or services. In the IT sector, outsourcing can be a smart solution to keep costs at bay and to reserve funds for investments that require a larger share of direct ownership. Wide-area network (WAN) costs, for instance, make up a significant part of an airline’s communication infrastructure expenses. Lufthansa Systems created SkyConnect, a core airline communication platform that delivers significant cost savings, high transparency, excellent professional expertise, and an extremely high reliability level.
As an IT provider specialized in airline infrastructure services, and with the expertise of a major aviation group, Lufthansa Systems was able to create a product that meets the requirements of airlines in terms of economics and operational stability. SkyConnect is a worldwide multi-provider network that flexibly buys network capacity where it is needed, providing the latest technology and fastest lines available. It can reduce an airline’s WAN costs by more than 40 percent. Through value-added services such as TypeB messaging, GDS connectivity, legacy migration, consultancy and airport services, savings can increase even more.
A special focus of SkyConnect is its billing transparency. Through Lufthansa Systems’ own data processing center, the company is able to provide an end-to-end service and pricing model, preventing unplanned items on the bill. "Easy Billing" makes the invoice transparent and in one currency, and effectively minimizes the amount of processing time and manpower on the airline side.
The system, dubbed "The Airline’s Choice", is built on the expertise that only an experienced provider with deep roots in the aviation industry can deliver. The team is highly experienced in project management with international customers and guarantees a smooth transition. Once established, the solution runs with a reliability of over 99.9 percent, backed by the Lufthansa Systems Enterprise Operating Center which provides end to end support around the clock for all infrastructure and airline application issues.
The solution fulfils the main requirements of airlines on their networks by taking major concerns about system stability and costs away from them - just another example of Lufthansa Systems’ expertise in providing its clients with an integrated infrastructure service portfolio.
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