The European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, approved the processes of Wizz Air to use the electronic Technical Logbook (eTLB) of Lufthansa Technik’s AVIATAR in daily operations. And, in the three months since the fleet-wide roll-out on more than 140 aircraft registered in Hungary, paperless operations proved to be stable with the new seamless digital pilot-to maintenance collaboration application.
The assumed benefits of this application materialized: for instance, calls to Wizz Air’s Maintenance Control Center dropped by more than 25%, proving the enormous impact of the application in the daily operational life of pilots and maintenance crews.
AVIATAR’s Technical Logbook offers prefilled text blocks and automated input masks. This enables pilots to record technical issues of the aircraft in real time, which are synchronized when an Internet connection is available. It therefore reduces manual efforts by up to 50% and improves data quality as well as transparency.
The new solution works with any hardware device (e.g. tablet, smartphone or desktop computer) and provides pilots with access to aircraft status anywhere and anytime. It also offers back-up processes in case of connectivity issues. Real-time data availability, directly connected with the M&E system (maintenance and engineering system), ensures maintenance on arrival and enables a seamless pilot-to-maintenance collaboration — leading to decreased turnaround times and costs. On average, thanks to the implementation of the Technical Logbook, closing time of defects can be halved.
For the airworthiness management of the aircraft the new Technical Logbook includes features, which ease the control of open defects and scheduled maintenance items. This prevents, for example, departures with overdue maintenance items, since the acceptance of the aircraft by the cockpit crew would be restricted. As a technical logbook is a core feature in airline operation the responsible authority needs to approve the associated processes. Hence, the processes of the AVIATAR Technical Logbook for Wizz Air’s remaining aircraft based in the UK and UAE will be approved separately.
“Our assumptions prove to be true: With the introduction of the Technical Logbook we already experience data quality, reliabiliity and airworthiness control enhancement supporting our technical and operational performance. The seamless integration of AVIATAR with our MRO software and archiving application is also a quantum leap. All of this combined strongly supports our commitment to sustainability and Wizz Air being the greenest choice of air travel,” said Diogo Reu, Head of Engineering and Maintenance at Wizz Air, who is the project lead for the Go Digital project of the airline.
“The EASA approval of the Technical Logbook in Hungary is a big milestone for AVIATAR. We already have the next countries and airlines in the approval process who will profit from a paperless cockpit and maintenance processes,” said Mona Stuenckel, Senior Director Digital Solutions Automation & Technology of AVIATAR at Lufthansa Technik.
Launched in 2017, AVIATAR is the independent platform for digital products and services developed by Lufthansa Technik. The platform offers its users digital products ranging from predictive maintenance to fulfilment and automated solutions. AVIATAR combines fleet management solutions, data science and engineering expertise to provide a comprehensive range of integrated digital services and products for airlines, MRO companies, OEMs and lessors that seamlessly integrate with physical fulfilment in TechOps and beyond.
About Wizz Air
Wizz Air, the fastest growing and most sustainable European ultra-low-cost airline, operates a fleet of 165 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. A team of dedicated aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares, making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 27.1 million passengers in the Financial Year F22 ending 31 March 2022. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ. In 2020 the company was named the Airline of the Year by ATW, the most coveted honour an airline or individual can receive, recognising individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding performance, innovation, and superior service and recently named one of the world’s top ten safest airlines by airlineratings.com, the world’s only safety and product rating agency.
About Lufthansa Technik
With some 35 subsidiaries and affiliates, the Lufthansa Technik Group is one of the leading providers of technical aircraft services in the world. Certified internationally as maintenance, production and design organization, the company has a workforce of more than 20,000 employees. Lufthansa Technik’s portfolio covers the entire range of
services for commercial and VIP/special mission aircraft, engines, components and landing gear in the areas of digital fleet support, maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification, completion and conversion as well as the manufacture of innovative cabin products.
Featured image credited to Lufthansa Technik
