Jeppesen plans to launch in the next quarter a new version of its electronic flight bag (EFB) that can be accessed from personal laptop computers, writes Brendan Sobie.
The new Class 1 EFB, which several US carriers have been testing since late December, will be available for sale shortly. Unlike Jeppesen's Class 3 EFB, released last year for integration in Boeing 777 cockpits, the new product is fully portable and can be used by pilots of any aircraft type before or during a flight.
"It will very much match what the pilot has in the cockpit," says senior vice-president advanced business development Greg Bowlin.
Windows-useable and connectable to the internet, the Class 1 EFB is aimed at airlines looking for a low-cost paper-free flightdeck.
The Boeing subsidiary also plans a Class 2 EFB for the end of this year, which will take the software from Class 3 and put it into dedicated devices such as a personal table computer.
The Class 3 EFB is now installed on seven 777s operated by KLM and Pakistan International Airlines. Jeppesen is talking to these carriers as well as customers of its other services, including electronic charts, about Class 1 and 2 EFB products.
Source: Flight International
