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| An Air China A330 flight. Photo: Allen Watkin |
[Avionics Today 08-27-2014] One of the world’s largest airlines, Air China, predicts it will save around $8 million a year in fuel costs, thanks to payload and live weather update technology from air transport IT specialist, SITA. Following extensive trials on its international routes, Air China has deployed SITA’s FMS Wind Uplink service on all international and domestic routes to constantly update key weather information for Flight Management System (FMS) calculations while en route.
The FMS Wind Uplink service enables the crew to adjust its flight path in-flight according to changing wind and weather conditions, so the aircraft uses fuel as cost effectively as possible. Since implementing the service in early 2013, Air China reports it has already lowered fuel costs by $2 million, but claims there are other advantages to be had.

“SITA’s Wind Uplink service will not only reduce Air China’s fuel costs, it will also enhance the safety of the flights by giving early visibility of the potential need to use contingency fuel or, in the event of a worsening forecast, the need to divert,” said May Zhou, vice president and general manager of SITA China.