Taiwan-based Star Alliance member signs contract extension for the flight planning solution and migrates to the new Lido/Flight 4D product generation

Raunheim, Germany | August 31, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced that the Taiwanese airline EVA Air has renewed its contract for the Lido/Flight flight planning solution for another five years. EVA Air will also migrate to the new Lido/Flight 4D product generation, enabling the carrier to benefit from even better integration, a more modern graphical user interface, 4D optimization and extensively automated flight planning and control processes.

EVA Air has been managing its flight operations with Lufthansa Systems solutions for many years. In addition to Lido/Flight, the airline has also deployed NetLine/Sched and SchedConnect. “We are impressed by the outstanding quality of Lufthansa Systems’ products and its reliable customer service,” said the Flight Control Department at EVA Air. “Lido/Flight 4D will certainly help us to improve further and make progress in the market.”

The new Lido/Flight 4D product generation includes certain basic components for migrating to current technologies as well as initial functional innovations and improvements for takeoff and landing weight optimization, crew briefing and route optimization. The core features of the IT solution are its integrated and continually updated aeronautical database and the so-called optimizer. Lido/Flight 4D calculates the most suitable route for each flight based on all flight-related data, weather conditions and the current airspace situation including any restrictions.

“Our innovative solution offers reliability and flexibility, simplifies routine tasks and enables dispatchers to quickly make the right decisions in critical situations,” said Tom Vandendael, Senior Vice President Regional Management Asia/Pacific at Lufthansa Systems. “We are in regular dialogue with our customers and are continually enhancing our solutions bearing in mind airlines’ needs.”

Around 120 airlines with a total of more than 6,000 aircraft are currently using Lufthansa Systems’ flight planning solution, which has been successful in the market for more than 15 years. In various comparative analyses based on thousands of flight plans, Lido/Flight was able to reduce fuel costs by an average of 2 percent, cut flying times by 1.9 percent and save 1.6 percent of air traffic control fees compared to its competitors.

EVA Air has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2013. From its main hub, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Taiwanese carrier serves destinations in Asia as well as Oceania, North America and Europe with a fleet of 74 aircraft. In addition to passenger flights, EVA Air also operates a cargo service.

New app provides mobile support for every phase of flight operations

Raunheim, Germany | May 23, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced the development of Lido/mBriefing as an app version based on the existing crew briefing module of Lido/Flight 4D. Lido/mBriefing will support flight deck crews with the briefing process as well as during the flight. This mobile solution is initially being developed for iOS, with support for Windows devices planned at a later date. This development is the aviation IT specialist’s response to increasing digitalization of flight operations processes and the introduction of connectivity on the flight deck, and it also advances the integration of briefing and flight operations solutions.

“We expect the majority of airlines to further digitalize their briefing processes for flight deck crews over the next two to five years. We received plenty of positive feedback from our customers after the presentation of our prototype last fall,” said Philipp Barzen, Head of Product Strategy Lido/Flight at Lufthansa Systems. “Demand for mobile briefing solutions for tablets is growing. We want to start meeting this demand with Lido/mBriefing.”

Pilots will soon be able to use the new app to access briefing information and digitally process it during a flight. Briefing systems are traditionally browser-based or only accessible via special terminals on the ground. With Lido/mBriefing, flight deck crews can carry out briefing steps on their tablet on the move and save relevant information for offline use. If changes are made at short notice, pilots receive the necessary notifications via the app so that the crew can react directly to the changes.

Using Lido/mBriefing, the crew can process all of the information and documentation required during a flight, such as the navigation log. If necessary, documents can be digitally signed after the flight and sent back to the airline’s data warehouse for analysis. The solution also supports retrospective data analysis to ensure, for example, that deviations from the planned route can be used for future route optimization.

“We want to help our customers become digital airlines across all processes. By developing our new Lido/mBriefing app, we are pursuing this strategy and reacting to growing demand for mobile solutions within the market,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO at Lufthansa Systems.

Lufthansa Systems has many years of experience as a provider of flight planning and flight deck solutions. More than 100 airlines around the world use the Lido/Flight 4D flight planning solution as well as Lido/Navigation digital maps. Lido/mBriefing combines the expertise from these two fields to provide optimum digital support for pilots in preparing and operating flights. The new briefing app can transmit data seamlessly to the Lido/mPilot navigation solution, thus enabling information from the briefing package such as flight plans to be presented visually in Lido/mPilot. This ensures an intuitive and consistent user experience.

· ViaSat Gains Connected Aircraft Software, Wireless In-flight Entertainment, Mobile Applications and Airline Document Management Expertise
· Arconics Brings A Complementary Set of Existing Commercial Airline Customers, Including Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Among Others
Carlsbad, CA and Dublin, Ireland | November 14, 2016– ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global broadband services and technology company, today announced it acquired Arconics, an innovative provider of software solutions to the aviation industry. Through this acquisition ViaSat gains broader expertise, aviation-grade software and mobile applications to make flying safer and more efficient for pilots, cabin crews and flight operations teams as well as applications that make entertaining passengers and opening new service and revenue opportunities for airlines possible.

The Arconics connected aircraft software platform enables the Arconics App Suite, which spans wireless In-flight Entertainment (IFE), Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), Airline Document Management and Cabin Management solutions, to communicate and share data with the aircraft and, using available connectivity, to connect with ground systems across mobile or avionics platforms. Today, tens of thousands of pilots, ground staff and cabin crew members across five continents depend on Arconics software to safely and efficiently operate their fleets. Airline customers include: Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Philippine Airlines, Tigerair Australia, SpiceJet and others.

“By acquiring Arconics, we are bolstering our ability to serve the global aviation market,” said Don Buchman, vice president and general manager, Commercial Mobility business, ViaSat. “We believe combining our strengths with Arconics will position ViaSat to be the market leader for connectivity, passenger services and flight deck applications and operations.”

Prior to the acquisition, Arconics had a partnership with ViaSat, primarily focused on serving the wireless IFE needs of multiple airline customers. Post-acquisition, ViaSat expects to also offer airlines real-time insight, control and agility of aircraft and flight data with highly-integrated, highly-customizable aircraft operations tools that tap into the power of ViaSat’s advanced high capacity Ka-band satellite network, which has more capacity in orbit than any other in-flight WiFi provider.

“ViaSat offers Arconics a strategic match – both culturally and technologically,” said Arconics Chief Executive Officer Niall O’Sullivan. “We know ViaSat well, having partnered with them on a number of opportunities to deliver our world-class CloudStore wireless IFE product. Together, we believe the complementary nature of the technologies and products of Arconics and ViaSat will enhance the combined company’s ability to deliver exceptional end-to-end experiences across the entire aircraft value-chain.”

In connection with the acquisition, ViaSat establishes a presence in Dublin, Ireland, and will continue to build its operations in Sydney, Australia. More than 30 Arconics team members with both technical and business expertise will join ViaSat, including Niall O’Sullivan. IBI Corporate Finance advised Arconics on the transaction. The transaction is not expected to materially affect ViaSat non-GAAP (pro forma) earnings for fiscal year 2017. However, ViaSat has not completed its valuation analysis and, accordingly, has not determined the impact to GAAP earnings.

Melbourne, FL | September 19, 2016– Global aeronautical communications provider, Satcom Direct (SD), announced today it has acquired AircraftLogs (“Stewart-Ratliff Aviation Services, Inc”), a company based in Columbus, OH, that offers the latest technology in aircraft flight scheduling software and tax reporting tools for corporate and private flight departments. With the purchase of AircraftLogs, SD adds scheduling and tax capabilities to its Integrated Flight Operations Management portfolio.

Founded in 2005, AircraftLogs provides web-based aviation data management solutions for corporate and private aircraft. It has become a market leader for scheduling software with the release of a web-based solution that incorporates a user-friendly dashboard and high level of customization to address specific customer requirements. AircraftLogs also has industry-leading financial and tax reporting, which simplifies IRS and SEC reporting. Across the industry, flight departments and their IT organizations have been selecting AircraftLogs as their platform for the future.

“Customers spoke and we listened. The addition of AircraftLogs to the SD family enables SD to provide an integrated flight department offering with enhanced capabilities, advanced technology and an unmatched level of expertise to revolutionize the aviation industry,” said Jim Jensen, Founder and CEO of SD. “The flight starts with the schedule and ends with tax reporting. AircraftLogs gives SD, and our SD Pro management platform, a total solution that corporate flight departments have been asking for, allowing them to always be in sync with their aircraft.”

SD Pro, which launched in March 2016, was designed to compile the critical information every flight department needs and display it in real time. Every individual user has a dashboard which is customized to their role potentially giving them access to communications systems status, flight tracking, flight logs, aircraft status and intent, maintenance data, and scheduling data. The acquisition of AircraftLogs will add key features and functionality to the SD Pro platform including a rich suite of scheduling and tax reporting services, providing the aviation industry a complete flight operations management solution.

“We are thrilled to be joining the SD family. SD leads the aviation communications industry and with the addition of AircraftLogs to the SD family we can provide the best solutions of any company in our industry.”, said Doug Stewart, President of AircraftLogs.

• Air Transat will navigate with Lido/mPilot app and use data from Lido/FMS

Raunheim, Germany | February 4, 2016– Lufthansa Systems today announced that Air Transat has opted for its Lido/mPilot mobile navigation solution and will also use the precise navigation data from the Lido/FMS database. The two companies have signed a seven-year contract for these solutions.

“Using the Lido/mPilot navigation app is an important step for us in moving toward a paperless cockpit. The app’s functions and intuitive operation excited us,” said Sylvain Aubin, Vice-President of Flight operations at Air Transat. “We place great value in innovative IT solutions and are looking for a provider who can offer comprehensive support. Lufthansa Systems won us over with their quality and service.”

Lido/mPilot is a mobile navigation solution which supports pilots before, during and after a flight. Around 60 airlines have already opted for Lido/mPilot since the app was launched in early 2015. The modular app combines functions like airport maps, a dynamically generated enroute chart, and a document management and distribution system that enables pilots to access documents and messages both at home and on the move. A status overview with intuitive icons guarantees a clear flow of information. Pilots receive important updates via push notifications.

The relevant navigation data in Lido/mPilot are based on the Lufthansa Systems Lido/FMS database, which will also be available to the airline on board for its flight management systems. The high-quality data are individually tailored to an airline’s aircraft types, cockpit systems and route network – thus ensuring the best autopilot support. The database contains all important route information such as altitude data, airways and airport data. The navigation data, which are based on global aeronautical information, are updated every 28 days according to the AIRAC cycle. More than 200 airlines around the world rely on the certified navigation data from Lido/FMS.

“We won over the customer with the quality of our Lido/FMS data and, above all, the intuitive operation of the Lido/mPilot app and our outstanding customer service,” said Michael Schmidtborn, Vice President Sales & Services North America at Lufthansa Systems. “We are delighted to have Air Transat as a new customer in North America. This agreement also highlights the growing importance of mobile solutions in the airline industry.”

– NetLine/Ops++ supports efficient operations control for airlines

Kelsterbach, Germany | December 13, 2012– Lufthansa Systems announced that Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong, has opted for its NetLine/Ops ++ operations control system. The companies recently signed a five-year-contract to this effect. Using this innovative IT solution from Lufthansa Systems, the airline will be able to optimally control its flight operations and react quickly to unforeseen flight irregularities, thus minimizing its additional costs.

“NetLine/Ops ++ is a great next step for us,” said Alex Chan, Manager Integrated Operations Centre (IOC) at Cathay Pacific. “We are continuously improving our ability to manage our network and this system will further enhance our capabilities. We’re particularly impressed with its ability to help us be more nimble with schedule changes.”

The completely redesigned operations control solution NetLine/Ops ++ will make Cathay Pacific’s flight operations even more efficient, and in the event of disruptions like delays or canceled flights it can help lower the costs arising from positioning flights or passenger layovers. The IT solution’s new functionalities simplify information management, enable a higher level of automation and improve support in key decision-making processes.

“We are pleased to be able to expand our cooperation with Cathay Pacific,” said Olivier Krüger, SVP Regional Management Asia Pacific at Lufthansa Systems. “Having one of the world’s most highly respected airlines as a NetLine/Ops ++ customer is proof of the high quality of our product.”

Cathay Pacific is based in Hong Kong, China, and operates internationally. The airline offers passenger and cargo flights to 140 destinations worldwide with a fleet of 134 wide-body aircraft. Cathay Pacific, together with its subsidiaries Dragonair and Air Hong Kong and its other associates, employs more than 20,000 people. The airline is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose joint network covers over 750 destinations worldwide.