We are happy to announce that since July 2019 our cockpits are paperless.

The journey towards paperless cockpit is not an easy and short one, but nonetheless worth it. Before gaining approval from the Civil Aviation Administration for Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) operations, we had to make a risk assessment, choose hardware and software platforms, create an EFB Manual, revise the current operating manuals, test the equipment, train the pilots and much more. After all this, at the end of January 2019 we received an approval for an EFB operational evaluation period with a duration of 6 months. During this period the paper manuals and charts are retained on board for back-up, but tablet computers are used as a main source for information, which includes navigation charts, company manuals, aircraft manuals, etc. With positive results from the evaluation period, Airest received an approval for EFB operations on the 23rd of July 2019.

Nearly 30 kilos of papers were removed from each cockpit and replaced with iPad tablet computers. Further benefits of this transition include for example: reduced workload for pilots and operations department, easier and faster access to information, financial and environmental benefits due to less weight and using less paper, easier to perform compliance monitoring.

As a result, the update increased workflow efficiency for many departments: operations, logistics, compliance monitoring and pilots. If before the update of a manual meant that the operations department needed to print the revision, logistics department had to ship it to aircraft all across Europe, pilots had to replace correct pages in the manual, give feedback and Compliance Monitoring had to gather the feedback – then now the EFB Administrator uploads the manual to the system and with a tap on the screen the flight crew has the digital document in the iPad.

Now Airest is looking for further opportunities to use the EFB system with the emphasis on employee satisfaction and customer experience.