Hawaiian Airlines’ New Tablet Technology to Boost Flight Efficiency

Hawaiian Airlines, the most punctual U.S. airline for 15 straight years, is equipping pilots with new tablet technology that enhances real-time aircraft and weather data delivered to the cockpit to advance the carrier’s industry leading operational record, said a June 6, 2019, HA press release.

(L) Hawaiian Airlines Capt. Brian Beres holds a tablet featuring the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer dashboard while preparing for a departure in the cockpit of an Airbus A330 aircraft. PC: HA

Hawaiian last month became the first U.S. airline to adopt the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer (FPO), a cutting-edge application by Berlin-based software provider PACE that uses satellite communication to continuously inform flight crews about winds, projected turbulence and aircraft performance.

Hawaiian’s Airbus A330 aircraft pilots can access updated information on their tablets throughout the flight to make any needed adjustments to chart the quickest, most comfortable and fuel-efficient trajectory from take-off to landing.

Last year, Hawaiian lowered jet fuel burn by seven million gallons, enough to power 14,300 vehicles for one year, amid a fleet modernization and expanded efficiency initiatives. The airline estimates Pacelab FPO will reduce annual fuel consumption by an additional one percent – approximately 1.3 million gallons – and prevent more than 12,000 pounds of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Pilots who operate Hawaiian’s 24-aircraft wide-body A330 fleet are utilizing Pacelab FPO on the airline’s network of non-stop flights connecting Hawai‘i to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Tahiti, American Samoa, and the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian intends to make the software available aboard its mid-haul Airbus A321neo narrow-body fleet that will grow from 13 to 18 aircraft by early next year as the carrier increases service between U.S. West Coast cities and the Hawaiian Islands.

A data visualization example of a Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer. PC: HA

“Pacelab FPO has been instrumental in helping determine the safest, most comfortable and efficient route on every flight,” said Capt. Brian Beres, senior director for flight standards and qualifications at Hawaiian Airlines. “Having previously removed heavy paper manuals and charts, Hawaiian is further increasing the utility of our Electronic Flight Bag tablets by providing real time decision support tools to allow pilots to optimize all phases of the flight. This means guests arrive on our islands well rested and on time to begin their vacation, while we further reduce our environmental footprint.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Hawaiian to the Pacelab community,” said Oliver Spaeth, director of sales at PACE. “We collaborated very closely on demonstrating the savings potential during the onboard software trial, which went really smoothly despite the 12-hour time difference between Hawaiian’s headquarters, pilots and our operational efficiency experts in Germany.”

Pacelab FPO continuously performs a holistic optimization for the remaining route to the destination and provides flight crews with actionable data to maximize operational efficiency, flight punctuality and passenger comfort given current flight conditions. The optimization uses real-time avionics data and meteorological information, while respecting scheduled in-block times and a wide range of other airline-specific constraints.