CASE STUDY: Digital EFB operations at Aerolíneas Argentinas

Author: Captain Ulises Raymundi, Pilot at Aerolíneas Argentinas

Subscribe

Captain Ulises Raymundi, Pilot at Aerolíneas Argentinas shares their journey from paper to centralized, digital and paperless; the challenges, how it was done and the benefits that it has delivered

How do you take a historic airline in South America and transform it into a regional trailblazer in digital flight operations? How do you ensure that the people most affected — the pilots — are not only on board with the project but fully embrace it? And how do you create a solid digital foundation to build towards the future? These are questions that we were asking ourselves at Aerolíneas Argentinas when we were considering a digital future for the airline. But, before we look into that project, I’ll briefly introduce the airline to readers.

AEROLÍNEAS ARGENTINAS.

Aerolíneas Argentinas is Argentina’s flag carrier, and for over 70 years, it has supported both long-haul and domestic routes, connecting the nation with the rest of the world. The airline operates a fleet of 84 aircraft, serving long haul destinations with Airbus A330s, alongside a domestic fleet that includes Embraer 190s and Boeing 737s.

The rich history of Aerolíneas Argentinas means it has a strong culture and well-established processes. When it came to digitizing operations, these needed to be acknowledged and, at times, respected. Nevertheless, from the outset of digitizing flight operations there was a strong desire to modernize and ensure that the airline could thrive for the next 70 years.

Aerolíneas Argentinas was founded in 1950

WHY DIGITIZE OPERATIONS

While the project may have initially focused on removing paper from the cockpit, it was really about harnessing the power of digital tools to improve workflows, reduce turnaround times, provide users with consistent and coherent data, and optimize costs. Given the nature of the airline, it was an ambitious project. Change management within the context of a historic airline like Aerolíneas Argentinas is not simple. Ultimately, the airline wanted to find tools that were robust and reliable, so that our pilots and ground staff had access to the right information at the right time.

THE OLD SETUP

Aerolíneas Argentinas’ original process involved dot matrix printers. This was not only a noisy process but also meant the airline was entirely paper-based. To ensure documentation reached pilots in time for departure, someone literally had to drive it across the airport from the operations office. The cost and complexity of keeping stations stocked with paper and other materials were prohibitive. Last-minute changes were challenging to accommodate, and archiving was a significant complication. The physical space required to store operational flight plans, load sheets, and other documents was inefficient. Retrieving key information was slow, and manually inputting data often led to human error.

Old set-up built on paper was noisy, impractical and inefficient

THE CURRENT SETUP

Since then, the airline’s system has grown and evolved. The current solution is built around sixth-generation iPads (figure 1), with contingency iPads available at homebase airports in case pilots encounter issues with their devices.

On their iPads, pilots have access to Lido mPilot from Lufthansa Systems for charting, as well as proprietary performance applications for each aircraft type in the Aerolíneas Argentinas fleet. This includes FlySmart for the A330 fleet, OPT for the Boeing fleet, and E-Perf for the Embraer fleet. To ensure that pilots have the latest data at their fingertips, mobile hotspots are available on the aircraft, along with Wi-Fi at base airports and in airline briefing rooms.

Despite the variety of applications above, the majority of Aerolíneas Argentinas’ EFB is centralized in AvioBook. AvioBook Flight has been designed to equip pilots with digital tools, information, and documentation for both flight preparation and in-flight management. Its approach to integrations and launchers means that, even with multiple applications, the user experience remains as seamless as possible. For example, Lufthansa’s mPilot is integrated with AvioBook via a simple launcher interface, allowing pilots to automatically load route data from AvioBook into mPilot.

How AvioBook is currently used within the current setup

AvioBook is central to how Aerolíneas Argentinas operates its flights (figure 1).

Figure 1 – AvioBook is central to the Aerolíneas Argentinas EFB

Through AvioBook Flight, pilots have access to the Briefing module, Operational Flight Plan (OFP) module, Weight & Balance module, and Library module. This modular approach ensures that pilots don’t need to rely on multiple applications, streamlining their workflows and reducing app fatigue. Significant aspects of flight preparation and in-flight administration are thus handled within a single application. As a digital solution, AvioBook allows pilots to log in from anywhere with connectivity, enabling them to access key briefing data in advance – even before arriving at the airport – providing greater flexibility in their preparations. With interactive tools, like the NavLog in AvioBook’s OFP module, pilots can easily complete tasks digitally that were previously tedious to complete on paper. They can also instantly see trends in time and fuel consumption, and share this information with ground crews. The digital Weight & Balance module keeps critical, up-to-date data at their fingertips, even if it changes at the last minute.

All pilots have their own iPads

HOW AEROLÍNEAS ARGENTINAS DIGITIZED OPERATIONS

The greatest obstacle to going digital was ensuring pilots felt comfortable moving away from paper. Considering the demographics involved, the shift took them out of their comfort zones, making pilot buy-in crucial to the project’s success. It wasn’t always easy. At times, pilots were even seen printing documents from their iPads. However, through pilot guides and training, we were able to help them to feel more comfortable with the digital world.

Aerolíneas Argentinas’ training focused on guiding pilots through the app. Despite the application being intuitive, the initial focus was on maintaining familiarity. Introducing AvioBook Flight to pilots during their regular flight simulator training sessions allowed them to see how best to leverage the application, explore its features, and easily locate desired information. This approach guaranteed that users wouldn’t get lost in the application during a flight and could quickly navigate to needed information.

With AvioBook the pilots get the latest data, even if it changes at the last minute (figure 2).

Figure 2

Post go-live, Aerolíneas adopted a two-pronged strategy so that the EFB was used effectively. The first step has involved providing pilots with up-to-date information on the applications available to them, including current guides for the latest versions of all iPad apps. Secondly, we have conducted checks through the Flight Standards department and used backend reporting systems for different applications to monitor activity. For instance, pilots must acknowledge that they have received and read the necessary documentation within AvioBook Flight. This feature, supported by AvioBook, creates a limited form of communication with the ground, allowing the OCC to be alerted once pilots complete these actions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATIONS

AvioBook Flight is an integrated solution, meaning that the different modules within the application share data, reducing manual workload and giving users confidence in the accuracy of the data. Most importantly for Aerolíneas Argentinas, however, is the suite’s reliable integration with other vendors (figure 3).

Figure 3

Robust integrations were crucial to getting the data to pilots. From the outset, it was clear to us that to avoid disruptions due to data outages, we needed a solution with robust and reliable integrations. However, with so much data available, ensuring the right data appeared in AvioBook required careful mapping of all integrations. It was essential that every piece of data provided to pilots had a practical purpose. To achieve this, we first defined the different teams involved in the project from Aerolíneas Argentinas, as well as the key users and stakeholders, including IT, Flight Operations, Flight Standards, the OCC (Operations Control Center), and our suppliers.

The most important part of this process, from our perspective, was how team members collaborated, both within and outside of the company. Thankfully, we could rely on the support of AvioBook and their integrations team, who have extensive experience helping airlines transition to digital. Their approach ensured clear communication and expectations for both parties from the start, reducing back-and-forth discussions and enabling timely decision-making.

THE IMPACT OF AVIOBOOK AT AEROLÍNEAS ARGENTINAS

The simplicity of the AvioBook suite, coupled with the written and in-person support provided by Aerolíneas Argentinas, has ensured significant pilot buy-in. Over the last five years, thanks to the impressively high uptime performance of over 99.97%, we’ve seen pilots place their trust in the AvioBook suite, reducing the need for contingency solutions.

From a project standpoint, our confidence in the partnership has also grown as we’ve faced and overcome challenges together. The AvioBook way of supporting airlines from the moment a contract is signed has been invaluable. The expertise of their integrations team and the extensive list of third-party vendors they have already worked with have helped smooth the flow of data. Additionally, the support provided by their account management team offers a direct and reliable point of contact for all of our questions and queries.

Smart, integrated tools improve workflows: from a business point of view, a very noticeable impact on our operations was the reduction in printing, which was one of the key objectives we set out to achieve at the start of the project (figure 4).

Figure 4

In fact, there was a 100 percent reduction in OFP printing. What was most striking, however, was the reliability of the integrations. During the handover phase, we established a contingency plan for printing, but it was never needed. The second most notable impact was on turnaround times, which were reduced significantly – by an average of 20-30 percent. Since everything is now available immediately and wirelessly, there is no longer any need to waste time going to and from the aircraft.

LESSONS LEARNED

As with any project of this nature, whatever we planned ahead, there were still lessons that we learned during the project’s execution.

Flexibility in implementation

When undertaking this kind of project, it is, of course, vital to plan ahead. At Aerolíneas Argentinas, the complexity of our operations meant that a significant number of stakeholder groups had to be identified and supported. It was a complex process. Managing this kind of change, and all the different people involved, requires a certain level of flexibility. It’s crucial to be able to adapt to changing situations as they arise.

Small changes have a big impact

While the Aerolíneas Argentinas EFB setup includes many different applications, the introduction of one application, AvioBook Flight, had a huge impact on our operations. With this single application, we were able to improve turnaround times, reduce delays, eliminate paper processes, and boost overall airline efficiency.

Impact is not always linear

The objective of the implementation was to reduce our printing costs, so it was no surprise when we were able to move away from paper processes. However, some of the impacts of going digital were not always the ones we initially expected. For example, since all data was now available instantly and remotely, it was no longer necessary to waste time going back and forth to the aircraft between flights improving the pilot experience and turnaround efficiency.

Buy-in is a mixture of materials and the human touch

While the AvioBook suite is incredibly simple to learn, we had to recognize that many of our pilots had been flying for a long time and had little to no experience with tablets and digital tools. Ensuring their buy-in meant not only providing physical guides but also supporting them with training in the simulator and in the cockpit. We went the extra mile to make the transition as smooth as possible.

The choice of partner is key

The process of going live with a new application across an airline like Aerolíneas Argentinas is a daunting prospect. Having the support and expertise of AvioBook was crucial to ensuring that there were no last-minute hiccups.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Having seen the benefits of bringing pilots into a digital space, Aerolíneas now recognizes the need to expand these advancements further. While our cockpit is nearly fully digitalized, we aim to reach the next level with the introduction of an e-techlog. Additionally, we intend to enhance connectivity between cabin crew, the cockpit, and ground teams. For cabin crew, providing digital briefing information is already a priority, and we see great potential in enabling them to use digital forms as well.

To fully leverage these digital tools, we will need to enhance our connectivity. This will allow us to access the latest data in our EFB solutions, supporting improved decision-making and better management of challenging situations as they arise. Similarly, we need access to real-time aircraft data, enabling more precise inputs and accurate data across our operations. The future of cockpit technology holds exciting possibilities.

Aerolíneas Argentinas is convinced that building on our experiences with AvioBook and other solutions will ensure that we thrive in the coming years. I hope that this case study will be useful to readers who are considering a similar project.