Jet fleet equipped with cost index optimisation capabilities

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

ISSN: 0002-2667

Article publication date: 16 May 2008

127

Citation

(2008), "Jet fleet equipped with cost index optimisation capabilities", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780cad.005

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Jet fleet equipped with cost index optimisation capabilities

Article Type: Equipment and software From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 3.

Berlin software provider PACE and Lufthansa's regional carrier Lufthansa CityLine recently introduced the new flight performance tool Pacelab CI OPS. The latest Pacelab product enables flexible cost index (CI) optimisation at the flight planning stage and in tactical on-board flight management and was developed in close collaboration with experts of launch customer Lufthansa CityLine. The airline will use the software to improve the operating efficiency of its Bombardier CRJ fleet, with an expected annual reduction of fuel burn and emissions of CO2 and other pollutants of at least 2 per cent.

CI optimisation aims to determine the optimum, or most economical, airspeed by counterbalancing time- dependent operating costs such as crew salaries, incremental maintenance and fuel costs.

To tap the full savings potential of CI optimisation, Lufthansa CityLine will run the Pacelab CI OPS software on all future Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), enabling crews to dynamically update the initial planned cruise procedure as flight conditions change. In order to cover the widest possible range of scenarios, varying indices may be used in the calculation. In addition, Pacelab CI OPS will be used to generate first principle-based CI data for Lufthansa's operational flight planning tool “Lido OC”.

“Being able to calculate optimal trajectories on the spot is a giant step forward, especially with all present constraints taken into account. The software delivers operational data which have not been available for regional aircraft before but even on short- distance flights, the efficiency gains are huge” says Capt. Joachim Scheiderer, Manager Flight Engineering at Lufthansa CityLine and responsible for the airline's fuel conservation program.

“We are very pleased to break new ground with Pacelab CI OPS. The application of fresh, sophisticated software is 100 percent in line with our Upgrade to Industry Leadership initiative, which promotes innovative thinking and the elimination of inefficiencies wherever they occur” agrees Klaus Froese, Lufthansa CityLine Managing Director.

“We see great market potential for Pacelab CI OPS because it gives airlines instant and tangible benefits both in terms of fuel economy and emission reduction. In Lufthansa CityLine, a widely recognised innovation leader, we have found the perfect launch customer” says Dr Oliver Kranz, PACE managing partner.

For further information, please contact: PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology GmbH, Tel: +49 30 293 62 0, Fax: +49 30 293 62 111

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