OREANDA-NEWS. “Every drop counts” is the motto. In future, new software will help to save fuel by optimising the flight profile and speed of aircraft during flight operations. Energy-efficient flight operations are a key success factor for the Lufthansa Group, and at the same time an important pillar of the Group’s environmental management activities. During a flight, the program processes the latest aircraft and weather data in order to calculate in real time the most economical flight curve for the remainder of the flight. A first prototype is due to undergo trials and will initially be tested on Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet.

If the software which is being developed by PACE, Berlin proves successful in practice, the application will complement the Electronic Flight Bag software used by cockpit crews. The EFB takes its name from the traditional flight bag containing up to 18 kg of paperwork required for a flight, which pilots used to carry into the cockpit. The digital version of the flight bag does away with the need for paper documents, and thus saves weight, as well as printing and logistics costs.

Lufthansa has used the EFB, which was developed by Lufthansa Systems, since 2009. Its capabilities include electronic Lido/eRouteManual navigation charts, document administration and tools to calculate take-off performance. Furthermore, the EFB supports a tool for viewing an electronic flight-briefing package, which includes data from the Lido/Flight flight planning system and also all flight-related documents. Creating a virtually paperless cockpit is an important step towards making flight operations more efficient and environmentally compatible.