STEVE NICHOLS
Northwest Airlines has announced that it will be the launch customer for Jeppesen's electronic chart delivery service.
The charts will initially be used for ground operations, but the ultimate goal is full electronic flight bag capability aboard the carrier's aircraft.
Jeppesen (Hall 3, A9) and Northwest will undertake a phased approach to integrating electronic charts into the company. One of the biggest issues may be the cultural change required as staff move from paper to electronic media.
The charts will initially be used in dispatch, pilot training and simulator operations.
Kevin Collins, Jeppesen executive vice-president, marketing and product development, says: "By providing electronic charts and electronic delivery on the ground, the learning curve will be substantially lessened when they are deployed in the air."
Jeppesen will also expand the features of the Northwest Airlines information gateway, which is hosted by Jeppesen. Northwest has an estimated 15,000 manuals weighing nearly 66t and hopes to realise significant savings as electronic charts proliferate throughout the company.
The Northwest deal will help the development of Jeppesen's electronic flight bag product. This is a fully-electronic replacement for conventional paper manuals, charts and maps.
Says Collins: "Pilots are now used to having computerised equipment in the cockpit, but building a paperless foundation on the ground will help with the transition to electronic charts in the air."
Source: Flight Daily News
