Albuquerque, N.M.-based aviation software provider Ultramain Systems (USI) has announced a new service, Ultramain efbSolutions, designed to assist airlines in transitioning from paper-based flight manuals to paperless cockpits featuring electronic flight bags (EFBs).
USI said the efbSolutions team will work directly with airline EFB project teams to assist with certifying EFBs, paperless operations and mobile devices in the cockpit. The team will provide assistance with hardware and software options, connectivity options, regulatory approvals, timeline, budget and more.
“We have a wealth of experience that we are making available to airlines through efbSolutions. Our professionals will help airlines speed up the EFB implementation process, while making that same process less complex. The experience of the efbSolutions professionals will reduce implementation costs and reduce program risk," said Mark McCausland, president of Ultramain Systems.
In 2012 American Airlines became the first commercial carrier to receive FAA clearance to use EFBs during all phases of flight. During a recent interview with Avionics Magazine, David Campbell, vice president of safety and operations performance at American, said the that replacing paper-based reference material with an iPad-based EFB saves a minimum of 400,000 gallons and $1.2 million of fuel annually based on current fuel prices.
Other carriers, including Alaska Air, JetBlue and United Airlines are also pursuing EFB initiatives.