Page 7 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018 Online Magazine

AIRBUS HOMES IN ON PREDICTIVE aircraft parameters, in comparison, an air-
MAINTENANCE SERVICES craft without one can record only about 400
data points.
In 2017, Airbus teamed up with Palantir Technologies, an
American software company that specializes in big data inte- At the Farnborough Air Show this year, Airbus
gration and analytics, for its cloud-based open aviation data announced that it had extended the scope
platform – Skywise. The digital platform helps customers inte- of Skywise by including three applications
grate data for large-scale fleet analyses and maintenance – Dispatch, Object Explorer, and Spotlight
capabilities, develop predictive digital solutions to boost airline – intended to benefit the supply chain. Ten
efficiency and implement real-time health monitoring and pre- ‘early adopter’ suppliers, including those
dictive maintenance. The company is also collaborating with dealing in cabin, propulsion, aerostructures,
Singapore-based UnaBiz for research in digitalization of aircraft materials and equipment/systems, are cur-
maintenance operations through the adoption of Internet of rently working with Airbus to test the new
Things (IoT) solutions. supplier-related components of the platform.

Unveiled at the Paris Air Show in 2017, Skywise has received an “The scope and power of data integration t
enthusiastic response from carriers, with AirAsia, Hong Kong echnology, which only became available
Airlines, Peach, Delta Air Lines, jetBlue, Emirates and easyJet recently, is now bringing productivity gains
being the first ones to sign up. While easyJet has opted for which benefit all stakeholders in the aviation
Skywise for predictive maintenance services across its fleet of ecosystem – from suppliers and airlines to
nearly 300 aircraft, Hong Kong Airlines is using big data to avoid OEMs,” says Marc Fontaine, Airbus’ Digital
fuel overconsumption on descent and approach. Transformation Officer. Airbus’ H160 heli-
copter is built on a 100-per cent digital shop
In February this year, AirAsia, Asiana Airlines and Etihad Airways floor, says Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive
became the first airlines to use Skywise Predictive Maintenance Officer of Airbus Helicopters. “There are no
services. The agreements cover the retrofit of their respective paperwork inspections. Every worker has
A320 and A330 Family fleets of the carries would be retro- their own tablet connected in real time to a
fitted with “Fomax,” an on-board data-capture/transmission manufacturing execution system. Everyone
module that provides expanded volumes of recorded aircraft on the shop floor can see in real time the
data. An A320 equipped with Fomax can record about 24,000 progress of each aircraft in production.”

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