Business aviation operators often cater to a unique clientele that has high demands for reliability, efficiency, and connectivity. Operating an exclusive fleet of business aviation aircraft, SkyFirst LTD, offers charter and aircraft management services with one philosophy in mind: providing a level of service unsurpassed in the global charter industry. Moving to fully paperless operations is just one of the ways SkyFirst provides greater efficiencies with safety a top priority.
With its procedures approved by Malta authorities, SkyFirst has moved towards a paperless cockpit for its entire fleet. Pilots are using iPads for required procedures such as weight and balance and downloading the operator database to the device so it can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, including in-flight.
The editors of Connected Aviation Today recently connected with Patrick Brunet, the ground operations manager for Sky First, to talk about the significance of moving to paperless operations.
“Skyfirst operates a fleet of long-range aircraft under the Maltese AOC and offers a wide variety of services such as Management, CAMO, Dispatch, and Charter,” Brunet explained. “The dedicated team strives for perfection and delivers a top-quality product to its customers. At Skyfirst, we believe that nothing is impossible and there is always a solution for any kind of request.”
With that mindset in place, SkyFirst turned to its partner for flight planning, Collins Aerospace, to help them move to paperless operations after the company created an in-house Operational Control Center.
“Using a paperless operation has improved both pre-flight and post-flight documentation,” according to Brunet. “It has simplified flight briefings and saved on the waste of paper. Our departments can retrieve data instantaneously following a flight, which helps to save time and improves efficiency whatever the issue.”
The industry has been calling for a digital transformation among commercial and business aviation to improve efficiency and safety with digital solutions. Paper in nearly every situation produces excess waste and is immediately outdated as soon as the data is printed. Implementing digital solutions offers real-time data for aviation safety while improving environmental sustainability by reducing the sheer amount of paper that is often used for flight planning.
When it was time for SkyFirst to get to the next step of digital experience, they naturally turned to Collins Aerospace. After leveraging ARINCDirect solutions for over a decade, SkyFirst took advantage of the company’s full suite of flight planning capabilities, including an iPad solution to enable operators to support paperless operations. Core capabilities also included digital mapping features with interactive planning capabilities and navigation data that is layered with National Aeronautical Charting Offices’ charts. ARINCDirect solutions also adhere to compliance requirements from organizations like ICAO, FAA, SID, and STAR. Additionally, an integrated safety management system, detailed weather information, and flight tracking support offer even more efficiencies for operators.
“After carefully assessing the services offered by most flight planning systems, Collins Aerospace stood out as being in line with the requirements of our operations,” Brunet reflected. “SkyFirst appreciates the effort from Collins Aerospace to provide the best technical assistance an operator would need any time of the day.”
