INDUSTRY WATCH seeing more than one per cent in fuel and emissions savings . Over a full year , Schopfer said , that would result in cost savings of about $ 15 million and a 100,000-ton reduction in CO 2 emissions .
“ Those are huge numbers in one year and every year , this would pay back in direct fuel savings for the airline and reduced impact on the environment for all of us ,” says Schopfer .
Just like with weather delays , mechanical delays – those caused by the need to fix or replace a part – can foul up flight plans . Planes wait to take off , passengers miss connecting flights and so on . But unlike weather delays , mechanical delays are almost entirely preventable .
Aircraft parts produce data and that data provides valuable insight . and Engine Monitoring system , they can use that data to predict days in advance when a part might need repair or replacement .
With that knowledge in hand , airlines can schedule maintenance when and where it ’ s most convenient – during slower times or days , for example and in a city with adequate facilities . That ’ s the job of Ascentia , which converts data from aircraft parts into intelligence that predicts maintenance needs and even identifies ways to reduce unnecessary wear and tear .
To show the effectiveness of its Ascentia analytics tool , Collins Aerospace used it to monitor Collins-produced parts on Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft . On those parts alone , Collins found a 30 % approximate decrease in potential delays and cancellations for the Boeing 787 fleet and a 20 % approximate decrease in unscheduled maintenance on the Boeing 777 fleet .
At Pratt & Whitney , for example , experts have gathered data from thousands of aircraft engines over several decades . Now , through their Advanced Diagnostics
But it ’ s the waiting . Waiting at security . . . waiting at the food court . . . waiting to catch a ride from the airport . . . .
Better use of data can mitigate the root causes of all that waiting . Services offered by Collins , including the use of biometrics at airport security and automation for check-in and baggage check , can speed up processes throughout air travel . And real-time flight tracking technologies such as FlightAware , for example , can give passengers and those picking them up accurate and real-time updates about takeoff , landing and gate assignments – no matter which airline they ’ re flying .
That can help reduce congestion and traffic in and around the airport . Rather than wandering in search of a monitor or walking to the gate only to find their flight is delayed , passengers can receive updates directly on their mobile devices .
And instead of having their rides arrive too early , wait in a cell phone lot or circle a busy pickup area , FlightAware predicts estimated times of arrival accurately , eliminating the guesswork and making pickup quick and simple .
“ The airport experience of the future is at a walking pace . You never have to stand in line . You ’ re walking out of your car , Uber or train , through the airport and getting on your aircraft .
“ You ’ ll see more walking pace . We ’ ll get there ,” says Schopfer . p
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