LONDON – Etihad Airways has selected Boeing to supply Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor for the carrier’s Dreamliner fleet. The package allows Etihad to optimise both the operational and fuel efficiency of the aircraft.
The announcement comes after Etihad trialed the system on a subsection of their Dreamliner fleet. They found it used saved on average 1.4% per flight. The trials started in 2019, with Etihad taking part in Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program. The scope of the two company’s alliance expanded in 2021, as part of their agreement renewal. The renewed agreement is centred around enhancing the efficiency of navigation and flight operations, airframe technologies and sustainable practices to reduce emissions.
“We have been very pleased with the fuel and cost savings we have achieved with FliteDeck Advisor,” said Sulaiman Yaqoobi, vice president of Flight Operations, Etihad Airways. “FliteDeck Advisor was tested as part of the Etihad Greenliner program, and it is great to now see it deployed across the 787 fleet, helping Etihad achieve efficiency gains and reduce CO2 emissions.”
Jeppsen FliteDeck Advisor uses airframe-specific metrics to advise pilots on small changed to make to their flight in real time. These changes include course, altitude and speed. This allows them to minimise the fuel used and carbon footprint. Some of the metrics used to calculate these suggestions include aircraft age and recent maintenance actions. It is worth noting, that this technology only works with Boeing aircraft types.
“Etihad has been a tremendous partner in advancing sustainable aviation technologies, and we are excited to continue providing them with solutions that help them decarbonize their fleet while meeting their commercial goals,” said Duane Wehking, vice president of Digital Aviation Solutions at Boeing Global Services.
Etihad is currently the largest Dreamliner operator in the Middle East, with 39 aircraft in their fleet.