There was a time, not too long ago, when pilots around the world carried flight bags with them for each flight. Filled with documents such as operating manuals, navigational charts and weather information, each bag could easily weigh more than 80kg (176 pounds) – about the same as two fully grown German shepherds. Thankfully for pilots, times have changed.
Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) in the form of tablet devices have replaced the antiquated stacks of paper. Lighter, smaller and easily updatable, the reduced weight over long-haul flights adds up to enormous fuel savings and improved environmental impact.
Based in Oslo, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Europe’s principle low-cost carrier and the largest airline in Scandinavia, has fully embraced the transformation. As a global airline, Norwegian requires uninterrupted communications between the EFB devices and airports in countries that have varying telecommunications standards.
When it needed to update its EFB devices with one best-suited to changeable cockpit environments and telecommunication needs, the airline turned to the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced.
“We need to be sure that our crews have connectivity wherever they are,” says Klaus Olsen, Norwegian Air Shuttle EFB administrator. “Most countries in the EU follow one standard, the United States another. These are easy to deal with, but as we branch out to more and more destinations all over the world, there are more variations to deal with.”
Visit Microsoft News Centre Europe to learn how Norwegian Air Shuttle is empowering its pilots.