siliconindia | | April 20208oday's new aircraft are amazing engineering marvels that combine a century of advances in aerodynamics and design with advances in navigation, communication, and safety systems. The Wright brothers would hardly recognize the fruit of their labor. The industry, however, is trying to balance the advanced technology on new aircraft and the ongoing dependency of legacy systems, many designed and built in the 1950s. Airlines must find a way to introduce operational benefits gained through technology within the confines of a marketplace that needs to support both old and new.There is no doubt technology and an explosion of data is reshaping aviation, and the airlines that are thinking ahead will make data work for them, not the other way around. Perhaps one of the largest changes in the industry has been the role of information technology in the organization. For most of aviation's history, technology has lived in specialized operational teams within the airline. IT has been a corporate function, supporting the enterprise but not involved with operational technology. Today, the role of IT is crucial to the airline, and the CIO has become a major stakeholder in the organization. The data revolution that's upon us will only further drive dependency.Three main technology advances in aviation have significantly changed the industry over the last ten years:·The rise of powerful consumer computing technology through laptops, tablets, and smartphones has been the largest singular impact in commercial aviation operations.· The increase in data availability and communications has also fundamentally changed how the industry makes operational decisions.· Finally, the operational capabilities of newer aircraft are driving regulators and administrators to review and revise regulations, operating procedures, and rules designed when there was a different technical acumen in the industry.Truly, airlines are showing tremendous creativity in finding case studies and benefits through consumer technology. The adoption of tablets and a shift towards web applications has led to a more rapid growth curve for the industry. Pilots use iPads or Surface tablets to track the flight, monitor weather, and calculate operational performance. Cabin crews can use phones to accept payments, fill out reports, and review manuals. Mechanics are able to view inventory, history of the aircraft, and electronically sign off a repair on a laptop or tablet.Moreover, these devices can be a hardware platform that can support further development and functionality to deliver even more benefit. For example, a smartphone that is justified through a paperless project can also support better scheduling, communications, and safety briefings. The mechanic using a tablet can also provide valuable future By Andrew Kemmetmueller, Chief Digital Officer, AAR HOW THE AVIATION INDUSTRY SOARS WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGYin my opinionT
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