The Surface 2 will run on
the Windows RT 8.1 platform and provide flight crews easy access to essential
tools and the most up-to-date flight-related resources, including navigational
charts, reference documents and checklists while saving the airline $13 million
per year in fuel and associated costs.
"Delta's electronic
flight bag running on Surface 2 continues the technological strides Delta has
been making to give our crews the best tools to keep them flying safely and
efficiently," said Capt. Steve Dickson, Delta's senior vice president –
Flight Operations. "This intuitive device puts key information at our
pilots' fingertips right when they need it. By eliminating paper, we'll reduce
clutter and minimize time spent looking for flight information, allowing our
pilots the opportunity to develop greater situational awareness in the air and
on the ground."
Electronic flight bag to
support real-time access to resources
Delta's electronic flight
bag will leverage Jeppesen's industry-leading FliteDeck Pro application built
specifically for the Windows platform. The interactive software gives flight
crews quicker and more efficient access to key, real-time information and
resources such as dynamic charts and navigation utilities that help them better
manage the safe operation of their aircraft.
"Delivering digital
flight information through FliteDeck Pro on the Surface tablet platform will
increase situational awareness and improve operational efficiency for Delta Air
Lines," said Tim Huegel, director, Jeppesen Aviation Portfolio Management.
"This EFB integration program highlights a successful collaboration
between Delta, Microsoft and Jeppesen and we congratulate Delta on the digital
transformation of their flight deck operations."
With the Windows RT 8.1
operating system, pilots will be able to open two applications side-by-side,
offering, for example, the opportunity to assess weather information alongside
proposed flight paths. The Live Tile user interface in Windows 8.1 can feed
up-to-the-minute information to crew members while the Surface 2's true high-resolution
1080p touchscreen display adds detail to maps and other resources.
Delta expects to receive
approval from the FAA to use the tablets during all phases of flight next year,
a process that follows an extensive period of testing on board Boeing 757 and
Boeing 767 aircraft. Approvals for all subsequent fleet types are expected by
the end of 2014. The Surface tablets fully integrate handheld technology in the
flight deck, streamlining organization of necessary materials and ensuring
continuity of information accessed by pilots while giving them the latest tools
to drive operational and cost improvements. The reduction of paper in the
cockpit also reduces clutter and allows pilots to spend more time focusing on
flying the aircraft as they will benefit from an intuitive user interface that
features functions to find information faster, without having to hunt for
appropriate manuals in flight bags or page through paper documents.
"The integration of
the electronic flight bag is part of Delta's broader move to upgrade flight
deck equipment, deploy technology enhancements and take advantage of airspace
modernization efforts," said Dickson. "With these improvements, we're
able to reduce the airline's environmental impact while providing a great deal
of flexibility to continue to add mobile technology solutions into our flying
operations."
Maximizing efficiencies
for environmental benefit
Rolling out the Surface 2
tablets across the entire fleet and eliminating paper in the cockpit means the
carrier will remove traditional 38-pound pilot flight bags maintained on board
aircraft for each pilot. That critical weight reduction is expected to reduce
fuel usage by an estimated 1.2 million gallons per year which translates to a
26-million-pound reduction in carbon emissions - the equivalent of taking more
than 2,300 passenger cars off the road. Additionally, the tablet will cut the
airline's paper usage by 7.5 million sheets annually and save an estimated 900
trees each year.
In the coming years, Delta
plans to expand the functionality of the EFB equipment and increase the
efficiency of the operation by providing pilots with electronic dispatch and
flight release information, access to real-time weather forecasts,
up-to-the-minute operational information and dynamic communication with
aircraft technicians on the ground.
"We set out to make
Surface the most productive tablet, so we couldn't be more excited to help
Delta pilots be more productive and help the environment," said Brian
Hall, Surface general manager at Microsoft. "This announcement
demonstrates Delta's absolute commitment to bringing the best in technology
innovation into their flight operations. The full HD Surface screen and
ten-hour battery life will be perfect for flights where Delta pilots will get seamless
real-time data and visualization in a variety of lighting conditions. And then
they can be productive off the plane with Microsoft Office and our click-in
keyboard. We look forward to seeing how Delta amazes us with its
Surfaces."
The move to a paperless
cockpit follows Delta's industry-leading launch of handheld devices for its
19,000 flight attendants that runs on Windows Phone-based software. Delta
flight attendants began using the Nokia Lumia 820 in August and are able
to access customer and flight information while using Dynamics for Retail
technology for easy onboard customer purchases.