Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to assess the feasibility of equipping its entire fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft with electronic flight bag (EFB) technology.
Navigation data specialist Jeppesen revealed this in announcing a deal with the airline covering electronic delivery of charts and data. SIA also confirms it will look at equipping its full fleet with EFB technology.
Acting vice-president technical operations Alan Chan says: "Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of 89 aircraft, and together with SIA Cargo and SilkAir flies to 91 destinations in 38 countries around the world. There is ever increasing pressure to keep flight operations costs down and manage all flights more efficiently by utilising new technology."
Jeppesen says the data provision deal is a three-year one under which it will provide its "e-Link" internet delivery service, which "will first be implemented in the flight operations department and will set the stage for a digital transformation at Singapore Airlines...first in ground operations and later on the flightdeck".
The service will enable SIA to access and print its full library of electronic charts and data via a secure internet connection.
EFB technology provides pilots with aeronautical maps and charts, fault reporting and operational manuals, minimum equipment lists and logbooks in digital format.
Jeppesen provides software for an EFB product being used by some airlines on the Boeing 777. At the Farnborough air show this year a memorandum of understanding was announced under which Jeppesen may for the first time provide its EFB offering on Airbus aircraft when specified by the European airframe manufacturer's customers.
SIA's Boeing fleet comprises 747-400s and 777s and it also flies A340-500s.
Source: Flight International
