Boeing launches airplane maintenance iPad apps
Airplane manufacturing giant Boeing is debuting new iOS apps in Europe this week aimed at getting airline mechanics faster access to parts and maintenance information using Apple's iPad.
Following more than a year of development in cooperation with a number of airlines, Boeing on Tuesday announced the release of a suite of new iPad apps centered on airplane maintenance, CNET reports. Boeing hopes the apps will help maintenance crews quickly find and fix issues to get airplanes back into operation with a minimum of delay.
The apps will debut at a European aviation conference this week in London. The past year of development for the app suite was aimed at ensuring that each has a user interface ideal for its purpose and will maximizes usability.
Included in the new maintenance apps are a toolbox mobile library providing access to maintenance documents, hyperlinks between multiple manuals and airline content, a parts almanac that contains information on an airline's most current inventory and other features. Alaska Airlines technicians estimate that using the iPad apps will save 4,000 pieces of paper per day.
Boeing is just the latest aviation company to integrate Apple's popular tablet into its operations. In 2012, American Airlines pilots started using iPads as flight bag replacements throughout all phases of flight, saving the company an estimated $1.2 million per year on fuel costs due to the decreased weight.
Following more than a year of development in cooperation with a number of airlines, Boeing on Tuesday announced the release of a suite of new iPad apps centered on airplane maintenance, CNET reports. Boeing hopes the apps will help maintenance crews quickly find and fix issues to get airplanes back into operation with a minimum of delay.
The apps will debut at a European aviation conference this week in London. The past year of development for the app suite was aimed at ensuring that each has a user interface ideal for its purpose and will maximizes usability.
Included in the new maintenance apps are a toolbox mobile library providing access to maintenance documents, hyperlinks between multiple manuals and airline content, a parts almanac that contains information on an airline's most current inventory and other features. Alaska Airlines technicians estimate that using the iPad apps will save 4,000 pieces of paper per day.
Boeing is just the latest aviation company to integrate Apple's popular tablet into its operations. In 2012, American Airlines pilots started using iPads as flight bag replacements throughout all phases of flight, saving the company an estimated $1.2 million per year on fuel costs due to the decreased weight.
Comments
I know! Don't they know the iPad is a toy that can't have 2 windows open at once like the Zune RT?
/s
Great to see Alaska Airlines alone will save 1/2 a tree a day by using 4,000 pieces of paper a day. (I'm assuming standard copy paper.)
Great. Now my private 727 jet will have less downtime.
The important savings is the reduction of jet fuel. Their paper is probably recycled so they wouldn't be saving that many trees. The other saving is a reduction in medical costs from having to carry several heavy binders of paperwork.
Its great to see the iPad becoming adopted in more industries. Definitely would be a time saver for the mechanics. Probably increases the quality of the maintenance and airplane safety too.
The important savings is the reduction of jet fuel. ...
How so? (maintenance manuals are not carried on the airplane, so they don't add weight and increase fuel burn, like navigation charts are supposed to do.)
You're correct. My comment was in reference to the Alaska Airlines statement.
... Probably increases the quality of the maintenance and airplane safety too.
Paper manuals vs. iPad has no effect on the quality of the maintenance or airplane safety whatsoever.
What I meant was having instant access to the manuals (and possibly service records) could improve quality of the maintenance and safety of the plane, vs. just assuming whatever part in question looks okay.
... vs. just assuming whatever part in question looks okay.
because that is EXACTLY how maintenance gets done on a Boeing 737!