British Airways has moved to a predictive automated maintenance reporting system, which uses real-time data to predict maintenance issues, reduce delays, and eliminate the use of over 900,000 pieces of paper annually.
On Wednesday (February 14, 2024), British Airways announced their transition to an automated maintenance reporting system. The new system uses real-time data to predict aircraft maintenance issues, which will help reduce delays while saving over 900,000 pieces of paper annually. The new E-logs platform will provide live performance information about the carrier’s 270 aircraft fleet, allowing BA to spot potential problems and proactively fix them to reduce downtime. It replaces the costly, antiquated and time-consuming paper-based system, making it easier for pilots and cabin crew to log maintenance issues. Required by regulations, aircraft technical logs have historically been paper-based.
In Wednesday’s announcement, British Airways’ Chief Technical Officer, Andy Best, said,
“We’re using the latest technology to help ensure we continue delivering a consistently high standard of service for our customers – always with a focus on safety. Our investment in innovative tools like this means we can support our teams to identify and put solutions in place ahead of time. By replacing time-consuming manual processes with digital technology, we are constantly improving the reliability of our aircraft fleet and as a result our customers’ experience.”
In the past, crew members would log any faults in writing, which were then transcribed and transferred to maintenance teams, who would complete the work and update the aircraft maintenance log in writing. With the new E-Logs system, a number of specialized iPads will be placed on every aircraft, replacing the paper-based system, and allowing for the immediate transfer of data from aircraft to engineers, before the aircraft even arrives at its destination. This allows engineers to pre-order parts and resolve issues more quickly, reducing the amount of time the aircraft is out of service. Additionally, the technology allows BA to predict faults and proactively correct them before they become an issue that might take the airplane offline.
The new automated maintenance reporting system is part of British Airways’ £7.0 billion investment over the next two years, the company’s largest-ever investment in the business designed to revolutionize how teams work, while rolling-out the latest technology to enhance the guest experience. This investment includes the use of cutting-edge machine learning, automation and AI across the company’s operations, driving improvements from bookings to baggage handling, while reducing cancellations and delays.
Source: British Airways