Page 21 - World Airnews Magazine March 2020 Edition

FEATURE FEATURE

Barriers to the adoption of drone to the development and purchase

of 75,000 tonnes of SAF a year – but
technology in inspections include

AI, DRONES & SUSTAINABILITY certification and ensuring devices are production must dramatically in-

crease if IATA is to achieve its aim of
stable enough to capture precise im-

ages. Laser technology will however one billion passengers to have flown
- 2020 IS A TIME FOR ACTION help yield accurate images – on- on a sustainable aviation fuel-blend

flight by 2025.

board sensors can sense the drone’s
environment and position the device Fleets made up of lighter, fully elec-

with accuracy down to centimetres trified aircraft may be some way off,

– and if drones gain full certification but last year we did see the unveiling

This means the arduous task of ingesting, ag- for use in commercial aviation McK- of a prototype of the first commer-

gregating and analysing raw data transmitted insey projects the market could be a cial all-electric passenger aircraft in

hile Artificial Intelligence (AI), from aircraft is being shortened thanks to this staggering (US) $46 billion business the form “Alice”, designed and con-

Wdrones and sustainability tar- increased digitisation. segment by 2026. structed by Israeli firm Eviation. Alice
gets were virtually unheard of in the 1980s Recent examples of airlines such as Delta … AND HELP ADDRESS THE is set to enter service in 2022, but re-

and 1990s, many of the aircraft and engines and MROs such as Lufthansa Industry Solu- SKILLS SHORTAGE gional airline and IFS customer Cape

they will now be used to support were tions working on adopting AI and machine Air’s “double-digit” order of the new

designed in that far off period and are still in learning (ML) into their aircraft maintenance Drone technology will help aircraft technology demonstrates

operation today. This is no time warp, this is strategies highlight the transition organisa- organisations digitally transform and the shift airlines are now making to

drive customer satisfaction, but its
address climate change.

reality and these technologies must be top tions are already making towards digital and growing influence in operations also

It will become more critical for

predictive-focused maintenance strategies.
of mind for commercial operators and MRO The reduced maintenance technician and en- has the wider benefit of addressing carriers to implement a fleet renewal

organisations to not only stay ahead of com- gineering labour hours spent on aggregation the shortage of skilled maintenance programme which sees older, gas-

petition in this changing technological land- and analysis of data makes these intelligent technicians in the commercial heavy jets replaced with newer,

scape, but to demonstrate they can deliver maintenance strategies particularly desirable. aviation sector. It will be up to com- more fuel-efficient aircraft to achieve

sustainably on their business objectives. At last year’s IFS World Conference, it was mercial aviation operators and MROs near-term sustainability targets.

Complex, new generation aircraft has interesting to hear Rolls-Royce discuss its to keep pace with developments in Route optimisation will also grow in

resulted in increased volumes of data for high expectations for the accuracy of its own drone-supported aviation this year importance for airlines—they will

airline maintenance teams to manage. This predictive analytics strategy. The airline, to benefit from the time and labour need to make every effort to ensure

large volume of information now being which selected IFS Maintenix for exchanging resources that can be saved using they are providing the most direct

produced from engineering, manufacturing, engine data with airlines operating its Trent this technology. and fuel-efficient journeys possible

operations and maintenance departments engines last year, targets a 100 percent SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS for their customers.
represents a challenge when it comes to success rate in terms of ensuring they never MUST NOW BE CONSIDERED A airlines reduce their carbon footprint.

manually generating specific work order miss something they are looking for, at the CORSIA, a plan from the International Civ- FAIL TO PREPARE, PREPARE TO FAIL

tasks for technicians. This is where AI holds same time as zero false predictions, which PRIORITY il Aviation Organization (ICAO) to achieve In some ways the next 12 months involve

much promise to streamline operations, and can be just as disruptive to its service. This year it is expected we will see record carbon-neutral growth for aviation from putting the building blocks in place for the

will need to be reinforced by drone-support- Nick Ward, Head of OEM Digital Solutions, numbers of over 4.7 billion passengers 2020, highlights the increased focus on how increasingly technological and environ-

ed inspections which have the potential to Rolls-Royce, explained, “We have a sophisti- scheduled to fly, a 137 percent increase our use of fossil fuels is shaping our future, mentally-conscious world of commercial

Graham Grose, vice cover several maintenance tasks in signifi- cated simulation engine which looks across from 2004, while the International Air while flygskam or “flight shaming”, a move- aviation. While previously the use of AI in

president and industry cantly less time than technicians. our entire fleet. It looks at all the risk drivers Transport Association (IATA) predicts ment across Europe encouraging people to maintenance strategies, testing drone-sup-

stop taking flights as a means of transport,
passenger numbers could reach over eight
ported aviation MRO and focusing on

While maximising efficiencies and digitally

attached to engines within that fleet—things

director, Aerospace evolving is not a new challenge for airlines that might force the engine off the wing. We billion by 2037. But one of the biggest is another example of the pressure on the sustainable and efficient fleet strategies

industry to improve its green credentials.
challenges as a result of this growing desire

and Defence, IFS, and fleet operators, it must not be forgotten simulate those engines through their lives to fly is the environmental impact this is Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is already may have seemed like buzzwords for

organisations to show they are progressive,

against different scenarios, different kinds
that using the latest technology to manage

believes that 2020 customer expectations needs to be balanced of operating profiles that might be flown. having, and substantial solutions will be helping fuel some flights today – last year these are actions that must be top of mind

KLM committed itself for a 10-year period
in demand to tackle emissions and help
for airlines into the next decade. Q
with meeting industry sustainability targets.

We get a very accurate – greater than 90%
heralds a time for Here are three actions commercial aviation accuracy – on exactly when any given engine

action in three key operators and MROs must take to get the is likely to be forced off wing.”
balance right in 2020.
areas if commercial ADOPT AI AND ML – IT WILL STAY ALERT TO DRONE TECHNOLOGY –
IT WILL SOON BE A PART OF DAILY MRO
aviation operators TRANSFORM PREDICTIVE Passenger drones are very much a longer-term
MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES

and maintenance, Put simply, the goal for commercial airlines concept in commercial aviation and we won’t
be seeing commercial passengers transported
repair and overhaul is to keep customers happy. This means by drones in 2020, but drone-supported
inspections are a very real possibility.

ensuring flights remain on schedule and

(MRO) organisations flight delays and cancellations are few and Last year there were notable examples of

are to keep pace far between. But with the amount of aircraft aviation providers testing drone technology,

airlines have within their fleets – as well as
including AAR who recently tested fully au-
in this competitive a huge variety of models – when hiccups tomated Donecle drone technology integra-

occur, getting to the bottom of why can be

and evolving market like finding needles in haystacks. It is for this tion for inspections. This is an increasingly

attractive prospect for commercial aviation

landscape into the reason that integrating AI into predictive operators because drones can conduct end-
maintenance will be critical in the next 12

to-end visual inspections in under an hour—

next decade months and beyond. whereas manual inspections typically take
For large-fleet commercial operators and up to six. One complete drone scan covers

aviation MRO providers alike, AI is now an several maintenance tasks, and they are

essential tool. AI technology is expanding as a now being programmed to detect structural
decision-making tool in the form of intelligent damage and assess paint quality, markings

agents for data modelling and simulation. and signs of lightning strikes.
World Airnews | March 2020 World Airnews | March 2020
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