The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is exploring new ways to simplify the airline business. Its Paperless Aircraft Operations (PAO) initiative faces the daunting task of rethinking the way companies document maintenance activity. The group envisions a paperless environment and global regulatory acceptance of a single e-record system.
The three-year-old project is modeled after IATA"™s "Simplifying the Busines" (STB)"”an industry-led program that seeks to innovate and drive change in the aviation industry from a passenger and cargo perspective.
"Similar to the STB, the PAO seeks to transform legacy processes into modern, digital processes," says IATA"™s head of operational cost management, Chris Markou. "These programs encourage industry to learn from experience and rethink the way we operate."
PAO working group members expect global incorporation of paperless technologies will facilitate improved regulatory compliance and allow for new, cost-saving processes. "A paperless operation will essentially allow the aircraft to "˜talk"™ about its history, airworthiness, technical condition and costs," explains Markou. "And worldwide acceptance of this type of documentation will improve efficiency and effectiveness of aviation technical operations that crisscross international borders»…
