CAE has concluded the previously announced acquisition of Sabre’s Airline Operations portfolio (formerly known as AirCentre solutions), a suite of flight and crew management and optimization solutions, for an enterprise value of $392.5 million. The acquisition includes the Sabre Airline Operations product portfolio, related technology and intellectual property as well as the transfer of highly talented workforce.
“We are very pleased to welcome Sabre’s Airline Operations customers and employees to CAE,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s President and CEO. “This acquisition, in addition to our ongoing technological transformation and our previous acquisitions of Merlot and RB Group, allows us to expand our reach into digitally-enabled flight and crew management and optimization services and create additional value for our customers”.
Parent added: “CAE’s Flight Services solutions allow us to help airlines and business jet operators globally to better manage their operations, decrease costly scheduling disruptions, improve staffing and operational decision-making, and decrease fuel consumption and carbon emissions. This ecosystem also enables pilots and crew members to better manage their day-to-day activities, while supporting them throughout their training and career journeys. Our customers are increasingly adopting digital solutions to improve efficiency and operations, and we are thrilled about this opportunity to expand our suite of innovative civil flight services solutions.”
CAE has been carrying out a growth strategy with the intent to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic a larger, more resilient, and more profitable company than ever before. The acquisition, the ninth accretive acquisition for CAE since the COVID-19 pandemic began, will further expand CAE’s reach across its broad customer base beyond simulators and pilot training and establish the company as a technology leader in the growing marketplace for industry-leading, digitally enabled flight and crew operations solutions.
During the past two years, CAE has been unifying its digital flight operations business with the goal of delivering a holistic suite of solutions designed to improve operations and unite airline, business jet operators and crew in a single, interconnected and growing digital ecosystem. With the addition of this suite of digital capabilities to the existing business, CAE will now engage with pilots at every point of their career life cycles, from training and flight preparation, planning and scheduling right through to in-flight route optimization, performance and analytics.
The acquisitions of Merlot and RB Group in December 2020 and April 2021 marked milestones in CAE’s journey to pioneer the development of a digital flight operations ecosystem. And in July 2021, CAE announced Project Resilience, a multi-year innovation program to develop the technologies of tomorrow, including digitally immersive solutions leveraging data and artificial intelligence in civil aviation.
The SITA Board has announced the appointment of David Lavorel as the company’s new CEO.
David Lavorel
During the past 20 years at SITA, Lavorel has served in a range of senior roles, most recently as CEO of SITA AT AIRPORTS AND BORDERS. He also served as CEO of SITA FOR AIRCRAFT, where he pursued a strategy to extract the full potential of the connected aircraft for SITA’s airline customers. As senior VP Corporate Development and Head of the CEO office, Lavorel’s responsibilities included executing the company’s growth and development plans.
“The air transport industry has been through an incredibly turbulent period. As we look to recovery, digitalization of the industry is a key focus,” Dr. Omar Jefri, SITA Board Chair, said. “David’s experience and knowledge of both the industry and SITA will be instrumental in cementing SITA’s position as a trusted partner, working with our shareholders to shape the future direction of the organization.”
Adib Charif, SITA Council President, added: “David brings a deep conviction and commitment to delivering SITA’s vision as a vital industry partner. The SITA Council looks forward to working closely with him.”
Lavorel replaces former CEO Barbara Dalibard who has left SITA after five years at the helm.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has implemented GE Digital’s Fuel Insight, a software solution that works by understanding real data from the aircraft to meet 2050 net zero emissions goals. GE Digital says their Aviation Software solutions help aircraft operators increase sustainability across their operation – from fuel usage, to airspace efficiency, predictive maintenance, and flight crew performance.
Fuel Insight is a digital suite that leverages proprietary analytics algorithms to monitor fuel efficiency and deliver data-driven insights for identifying and implementing sustainable fuel efficiency initiatives.
ANA is Japan’s largest airline with a complex fleet structure representing a number of aircraft types. After extensive testing, the company chose Fuel Insights to manage its fuel efficiency and sustainability initiatives. The project, powered by GE Digital’s analytics, flexible visualization capabilities and subject matter expertise in flight data analytics and operations, will focus on three fuel savings initiatives: engine out/taxi in, idle reverse thrust and normal climb as a first step.
“Our mission is not only to save fuel, but also to incorporate ESG/SDGs perspectives, use the Fuel Insight for more accurate observations, and take data-driven policymaking and prioritized actions,” said Takashi Kondo, vice president of ANA Flight Operations Standards. “We will support and encourage timely decision-making and pursue execution and results. Fuel Insight provides the most sophisticated technology, and we appreciated the relationship we have with GE Digital.”
ANA and GE have a long-standing relationship, collaborating on data analytics in flight and technical operations. This collaboration has enabled fully virtual implementation of solutions supported by a regional service team in the region.
“Two major challenges in airline operation today concern fuel costs and carbon emissions,” said Frank Siegers, general manager APAC & China of GE Digital’s Aviation Software business. “GE feels a responsibility to make our world better for future generations, and that includes ensuring that our customers are empowered to reduce the impact of their technology and environmental footprint within their operations as well.”
Heston Airlines, a newly established airline headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, has selected NAVBLUE for charting, Navigation+, Flysmart+, N-Ops & Crew and N-AODB to support its flight operations.
Heston Airlines’ pilots will now benefit from complete and accurate navigation information, enhancing the airline’s efficiency and competitiveness.
“As a new airline, Heston has again enabled NAVBLUE to prove its extensive experience on understanding airlines unique needs, listening to the customer’s requirements and providing the most efficient and cost-saving solutions for their operations,” said Briac Kerihuel, chief commercial officer at NAVBLUE. “We look forward to developing our partnership with Heston in the years to come.”
With Navigation+, Heston Airlines pilots will benefit from relevant aeronautical navigation information including enroute, airport and procedures, both for worldwide and regional coverage. Navigation+ holds the EASA and FAA certification and complies with all applicable industrial standards and regulations. This solution serves over 250 customers worldwide, from airlines and OEMs to any Aeronautical Services Providers.
The pilots will also be using NAVBLUE’s charting solution, a reliable, ready-to-use and customized set of aeronautical charts (IFR terminal and enroute) which will provide them comprehensive navigation information while ensuring data consistency with Navigation+.
Gediminas Smilgevicius, COO of Heston Airlines, said: “We are impressed with the level of service and quality of support received from NAVBLUE during the implementation and day-to-day operations of NAVBLUE solutions. Being a new airline entering the global market, we came up with our specific needs and requests for the tailored solutions. Together with NAVBLUE we have found the answers to all of our questions and a solid package of various IT tools to satisfy our present and future needs.”
Heston Airlines also selected Flysmart+, the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution for Airbus aircraft performance calculations and the EFB Hardware Compliance service. In addition, N-Ops & Crew will help the airline, with one single solution, to plan and distribute its network schedules, maintain full operations control with configurable operating rules, as well as manage and optimize crew schedule planning, day-of-ops crew control, crew trainingand qualifications, and crew mobile access. Last, Heston Airlines has chosen N-AODB, NAVBLUE’s Airport Obstacle Database, which provides airlines with accurate, up to date airport and obstacle data. Compliant with EASA-OPS and FAA, N-AODB data covers over 3,000 airports worldwide and includes NOTAM surveillance and 24/7 service as well as EFP (Engine Failure procedures).
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has chosen NAVBLUE to upgrade some of its latest A320 aircraft to the most advanced navigation technology, RNP AR (Required Navigation Performance with Authorization Required). With Airbus’s RNP AR Upgrade, IndiGo pilots will be able to navigate mountainous areas or other challenging airspaces with precision and predictability.
Already a NAVBLUE customer since 2006, IndiGo is aiming to enhance regularity and safety of operations in their flights to Kathmandu (IATA: KTM, ICAO: VNKT), an airport surrounded by mountains with a very challenging operating environment. RNP AR is the ideal solution, as a Performance Based Navigation (PBN) system using satellite positioning, which allows navigation accuracy to 0.3NM and below, and turns after the final approach point.
With RNP AR, IndiGo aircraft will be better equipped to access difficult airports and reduce minima with enhanced safety conditions, improving their operational efficiency, and therefore having a positive impact on the environment. NAVBLUE’s highly experienced and multidisciplinary team, using cutting-edge techniques, will implement a complete end-to-end solution for IndiGo with RNP AR capability, supporting Ops approval and Flight Operational Safety Assessment (FOSA), also applicable to departures.
To support its RNP and RNAV operations, IndiGo has chosen NAVBLUE’s RAIM prediction service, N-RAIM. NAVBLUE is the world’s leading provider of RAIM predictions to the civil aviation community, supplying over 85,000 predictions every day. For challenging airports where RNP AR approaches or departures are in use, along-track predictions use the real mask angle to account for terrain screening.
“We are proud that IndiGo, the largest airline in India and an established NAVBLUE customer since 2006, has renewed their trust in our products by choosing to upgrade its fleet with RNP AR capability, our complete end-to-end solution to support Ops approval, and N-RAIM, NAVBLUE’s prediction service to support these operations,” Fabrice Hamel, CEO at NAVBLUE, said. “We are sure that our long track record supporting airlines with these solutions will be beneficial for IndiGo.”
Mr. Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer, at IndiGo,added: “We are pleased to partner with NAVBLUE to upgrade our latest A320 aircraft with the most advanced navigation technology. We have full confidence in NAVBLUE’s expertise which will help our pilots navigate safely through challenging terrains like curvy or hilly areas during the takeoff or landing. We believe this will enhance operational safety of the aircraft while also improving efficiency in the long run.”
Rusada has released a new mobile application for its Airworthiness, MRO, and Flight Operations solution ENVISION.
ENVISION Flights has been designed specifically for pilots and other members of the flight crew. It works closely alongside ENVISION’s Flight Operations module to provide users with live flight details including departure/arrival location, ETD/ETA, flight type and aircraft registration as well as expected passengers, baggage, and freight.
Several key actions can also be carried out directly from the cockpit. Actuals and oil & fuel uplift can be recorded, existing flights diverted or cancelled, new flights added, crew assigned, and defects reported.
ENVISION Flights becomes the third new app released by Rusada in the last 10 months after ENVISION Tasks and ENVISION Stock were launched in 2021, highlighting the company’s current focus on mobility.
The fully native app is available on iOS and Android devices and is approved by both Apple and Google.
“We are very excited to be releasing yet another new application to the market,” Julian Stourton, CEO at Rusada said. “What I like most about this app is that flight crew can view all the information they need in one place, which removes the need for time-consuming phone calls, or updates from various third-party agents. This should make their lives much easier and allow for everyone in the organization to be on the same page.”
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