easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, has today announced an innovation initiative with Airbus to study fault prognosis capabilities to enhance Airbus’ prognostics maintenance eSolutions and services.
Airbus’ solutions for prognostics maintenance include services and eSolutions which can receive real-time information from aircraft systems via the ACARS messaging system. This information is then analysed, with fault predictions sent to airlines’ operations teams so they can use it to troubleshoot technical faults as soon as the plane lands or schedule the work into its regular maintenance.
As part of the initiative, easyJet and Airbus will study enhanced prognostics capabilities using an extended repository in which to collate data from the worldwide in-service A320 fleet, from easyJet’s fleet and also from Airbus’ own operational benchmark analyses. The resultant ‘data lake’ will subsequently be processed using innovative algorithms.
Overall, the enhanced prognostic capabilities would benefit airlines by further enabling their engineering departments to plan for component replacements before issues arise, and identify possible actions to improve fleet operational performance and decrease maintenance cost.
Yann Barbaux, Airbus’ Chief Innovation Officer said: “We are proud to collaborate with easyJet as part of our ‘co-innovation’ initiative – which sees Airbus working jointly in a very open way with customers and suppliers on projects which will add real value to both parties by refining products and services together.”
Ian Davies, Head of Engineering for easyJet, commented: “Prognosis systems already transform the way that we maintain our aircraft. The data obtained enables us to predict potential issues before they arise or start a troubleshooting programme before the aircraft even lands.”
He adds: “Through this proof-of-concept we aim to enhance capabilities of modern prognostic systems with the objective to further improve our Airbus fleet’s operational efficiency.”
