Volaris Deploys iPads as Electronic Flight Bags

Mexico’s low cost airline, Volaris, is deploying iPads as Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), using SITA’s Managed Mobile Devices service.

The iPads are replacing paper manuals and charts, reducing the volume of paper required on-board.

The technology also delivers information to pilots much more efficiently and the weight savings have the added advantage of reducing fuel burn.

Volaris has ordered more than 600 iPads, ensuring all pilots have one, while provisioning for the airline’s rapid growth. Volaris’ operational and airline manuals, as well as navigation charts, are being digitized. Instead of traditional paper documentation being prepared for each flight, all the digital information is now stored on SITA’s ATI Cloud. Pilots can access it from any one of Volaris’ 61 destinations, and the update procedure is very straightforward for the flight operations team.

Eduardo Lasala, Network Operations Director at Volaris, said, “Our key priorities are safety, increasing efficiency and reducing cost, combined with a commitment to reduce our fuel burn. Together with SITA we have streamlined the way we provide our pilots with the information they need. This gives us significant operational savings because we no longer need to deliver paper updates to each pilot and we are also benefiting by saving fuel across our ever-expanding fleet. We have worked very closely with SITA to create a customized program that meets all our requirements and those set by the aviation authorities.”

The mobile devices are controlled by software that enables the airline to establish well-defined access rights for pilots, ensuring the tablets are only used as intended.

The system also provides valuable information for tracking who has been assigned a device and monitoring usage. This provides electronic signatures, for example, to show pilots have read the required documents.

Alex Covarrubias, SITA Vice President, Latin America and the Caribbean, said, "Enterprises in every sector are deploying mobile devices because they are simple to use and deliver huge efficiencies. We make the process of sourcing and managing devices very straightforward for airlines and airports by handling the full lifecycle, from purchase and delivery to activation, maintenance, repair and replacement. That includes local operational support on the ground, in this case in Mexico.”