British Airways has completed the rollout of a new automated maintenance reporting system that will give the airline real-time health information about its aircraft fleet.
The flag carrier says the electronic technical log platform will generate live performance information across its operated aircraft, which number around 270 aircraft. According to British Airways, this will allow it to “immediately spot potential problems and proactively fix them and reduce downtime.”
The E-Logs platform will replace a more cost intensive time-consuming paper-based aircraft technical logs system. British Airways says that being entirely automated will allow pilots or cabin crew to log issues in writing via iPads placed on the aircraft.
The information is fed back to British Airways’ maintenance and engineering division whose technicians would be able to plan the required work once the aircraft has landed. British Airways says a benefit of this system is it would allow engineers to pre-order any required parts and resolve issues more quickly on arrival and ultimately, reduce the number of time the aircraft spends on the ground.
From a sustainability standpoint, utilizing an automated platform will save more than 900,000 pieces of paper annually, the airline says.
“We’re using the latest technology to help ensure we continue delivering a consistently high standard of service for our customers – always with a focus on safety,” says Andy Best, chief technical officer at London-headquartered British Airways.
“Our investment in innovative tools like this, means we can support our teams to identify and put solutions in place ahead of time. By replacing time-consuming manual processes with digital technology, we are constantly improving the reliability of our aircraft fleet and as a result our customers’ experience,” Best adds.
The system is part of a wider investment in an airline transformation program over the next two years exceeding £7 billion ($8.8 billion). Targeted investments include machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence across different areas of the operation aimed at driving improvements from passenger bookings to airport baggage handling and reductions to airline cancellations and delays.
British Airways’ maintenance operation is comprised of base and heavy maintenance facilities at Heathrow Airport, Cardiff International Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport. In total, the airline operates more than 100 line stations worldwide.
