Air Malta has initiated a project to upgrade its ‘Electronic Flight Bag’ devices in the flight deck with an Apple iPad based solution that will provide pilots with one-touch access to up-to-date flight information, charts, maps and other crucial navigation tools.

Air Malta said it will be one of the first airlines in the world to use such advanced technology in the cockpit.

The iPads, equipped with Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, will help the airline to transition to a fully paperless cockpit where essential information will be available the moment it is required.

The system is intended to reduce pilot workload, increase situational awareness in flight, lower operating costs through reduced fuel consumption based on weight savings and help Air Malta reduce its carbon emissions and become more environmentally friendly.

A typical paper based pilot flight bag weighs around 25 kilograms containing thousands of pages of navigation, airport and runway charts, operating manuals, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information.

The removal of this weight from onboard each flight will reduce the airline annual fuel bill. Further cost reductions will be achieved through the supply of digital charts instead of the printed copies for all pilots.

Eventually Air Malta pilots will also be able to download weather information and submit flight reports through the iPad.

This project, which is split in four phases, is being coordinated together with the Civil Aviation Directorate of Transport Malta through which regulatory approval is being sought. A technical team from within the airline’s Flight Operations Department led by Captain Patrick Calleja, Head of Aircraft Operations and First Officer Mark Attard, Technical Pilot Airbus is implementing this project.

“Air Malta has always been at the forefront to provide its pilots with the latest upgrades in flight planning and operational tools and systems. iPads will give our pilots easy and faster access to more accurate information. Having the best technology helps us make the best decisions to fly more efficiently and arrive safely,” said Capt. Mark Micallef Eynaud, Air Malta’s Chief Officer Flight Operations.

Commenting on this initiative Peter Davies, Chief Executive of Air Malta said, “Our pilots fly some of the world’s most technologically advanced equipment. They, and all other airline pilots, have long relied on paper navigation charts and manuals which clutter the cockpit with huge volumes of documents. This project represents a significant step forward for our pilots. We are equipping our staff with the best resources to operate at the best of their abilities. We are proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to introduce this technology in the cockpit.”

Photo – Captain Alan Farrugia, Air Malta’s Training Officer (left) together with First Officer Mark Attard, Technical Pilot Airbus testing their iPad equipped with the Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro.

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