Japan Airlines has selected IBM to jointly develop IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps — Assign Tech and Inspect & Turn — to improve the aircraft maintenance process.
Apple iPad Pro and iPhone will enable aircraft engineers at Japan Airlines to access tools and processes to expedite repairs and modifications to the aircraft.
IBM said the MobileFirst for iOS apps eliminate manual-based processes and reduces time spent on preparing and reporting technical issues.
Airline engineers can check the estimated arrival time, review the most up-to-date flight schedule and be alerted of any gate changes, without contacting the office. Instead of reporting the progress of tasks via radio, engineers can share aircraft preparation status for a flight immediately using iPad and iPhone.
“Apple and IBM allow us to improve the efficiency of aircraft arrival and departure maintenance, helping ensure flight schedules and enhancing the overall experience of our customers,” said Akira Takemura, senior manager, Line Maintenance Innovation Office JAL Engineering.
Inspect & Turn and Assign Tech create rich app experiences, providing insights for business decisions and performance. In addition, Inspect & Turn allows engineers real-time access to relevant data from systems of record, including work history, crew reports and necessary parts and tools.
This apart, Assign Tech enables aircraft engineer supervisors to better prepare for each maintenance task by utilizing analytics on repair times, required parts and tools, and information collected in-flight.
Japan Airlines reaches more than 305 airports in 51 countries and regions together with its codeshare partners with a fleet of more than 220 aircraft.
editor@infotechlead.com
