Successful cooperation between Lufthansa Systems and GE Aviation | First demo presentation at the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Users Forum in Chicago

Raunheim/Chicago | June 24, 2019– Lufthansa Systems and GE Aviation are the first providers in the aviation market to offer a solution that allows for the inflight synchronization of the flight plan between the GE Aviation flight management system (FMS) and Lufthansa Systemsʼ Lido pilot applications directly on-aircraft. The first demonstration of the connected FMS using operational use cases will be presented this week at the EFB Users Forum in Chicago (June 25 – 27). The new FMS feature will be available following a software update from GE Aviation.

“Integrating solutions and taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digitalization and connectivity to help airlines achieve total mission optimization (TMO) is at the core of the Lido vision. Utilizing the capabilities of a connected FMS is one of the first major building blocks in achieving this vision,” said Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems.

Flight crews rely on flight-operational information available in their EFB devices in various applications, which today is typically entered manually into the FMS. Inflight, the FMS manages the flight plan by computing an optimal trajectory and provides pilots with guidance along the computed trajectory. The manual entering of data into the FMS during pre-flight preparations or inflight can lead to partially hazardous consequences if entered incorrectly.

Lufthansa Systems, in cooperation with GE Aviation, are the first providers in the aviation market to make use of the capabilities of a connected FMS. The new solution has an interface that enables the Lido Pilot Solutions to read flight-plan data processed by the FMS and send flight-plan information from the EFB to the FMS. “Utilizing capabilities of a connected FMS is a true milestone for digital navigation in aviation, because it automates the daily manual data entry processes of pilots, which are quite prone to error, and enables the data flow between different applications,” said Jurisch. “This synchronization of valuable flight-relevant data between the FMS and pilot applications reduces pilots’ workload and greatly improves their situational awareness, while also significantly mitigating errors through incorporated cross checks that are even graphically visible for the crew.”

The first demo of the connected FMS focuses on the bi-directional data integration. First, before takeoff, flight plans can be sent from the Lido Pilot Solutions to the FMS where they are automatically loaded. Second, manual changes during a flight, for example due to air-traffic control instructions or to circumnavigate bad weather, are automatically transferred to the mapping applications where the route is graphically displayed in real time. The use cases from this demo are just the start; there are many other potential applications that will significantly reduce the pilots’ workload.

“GE Aviation and Lufthansa Systems collaboration creates innovative capabilities and value for our joint airline customers, while positioning our products to support future reduced crew operations and SESAR/NexGEN initiatives,” said Gary Thelen, Director, FMS Product Management at GE Aviation. “With this joint development, we are opening up entirely new possibilities on the flight deck.”

The EFB Users Forum takes place twice a year and is one of the most important events in the EFB industry. At the event, hardware and software providers demonstrate their latest developments and discuss the technical and operational trends surrounding the Electronic Flight Bag with airlines and other relevant industry representatives.

Andreas Medlhammer, Product Owner for Lido/eRouteManual at Lufthansa Systems, and Gary Thelen, Director – FMS Product Management at GE Aviation, will demonstrate the collaborative development during their presentation of “A Connected FMS in an evolving EFB landscape” at the upcoming EFB Users Forum. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, June 26, in Session 2: Security and Connectivity, starting at 1:30pm.

Airline customers of Lido flight planning and navigation solutions meet in Rome | Lufthansa Systems presenting new functions within the Lido product family

Raunheim, Germany | May 2, 2019–Lufthansa Systems is welcoming representatives from 80 airlines from across the globe to the Lido User Group Conference in Rome from May 7 to 9. Over the coming days, the company’s airline IT experts will update around 310 attendees about the latest news and developments in its successful Lido portfolio.

This customer conference will focus on how airlines can further improve the efficiency of their flight operations. With almost 25 years of experience in complex airline processes, Lufthansa Systems is the market leader in many areas of aviation IT, including in flight planning with its Lido/Flight 4D solution. With its “Total Mission Optimization” (TMO) Lido product strategy, Lufthansa Systems is once again leading the way to a future of change. This strategy focuses on the close interplay between flight planning and navigation on the flight deck.

In addition to unveiling Lido Flight Planning Solutions for dispatchers and Lido Pilot Solutions for flight deck crew, the company also presents the latest news from Lido Data Solutions. The coordinated interaction between different areas enables these tried-and-tested Lido solutions to drive innovation for airlines.

“TMO allows us to look at each individual flight as an integrated mission, managed between dispatch and the flight deck,” explained Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “We presented the TMO concept for the first time at the Lido User Group Conference 2018, where it received a highly positive reception from our customers. We are looking forward to presenting our initial findings and subsequent developments here. By progressively developing and integrating the planning and navigation processes, we are optimizing flight operations in terms of fuel consumption, flight times and operating efficiency. Dispatchers can calculate the most suitable routes and pilots can fly them in the most efficient way, all while communicating continually with each other. Dynamically updating mission-critical data also increases safety.”

In addition to unveiling the latest product developments and offering related workshops, the conference also features presentations from industry partners. Highlights include Lido and its partner GE Aviation providing insight into the opportunities presented by “Connected FMS”, while Teledyne will give an overview of “Aircraft Interface Devices (AIDs) and Connectivity.” Other partners will also showcase themselves at the Market Place, which provides a forum for partners, product experts and customer representatives from around 80 airlines to have in-depth interactions.

“Total Mission Optimization is not a product. It describes the merger of our Lido portfolio that we are delivering and developing together with the airlines by maintaining an intensive and critical dialog at events such as the Lido User Group Conference,” said Jurisch. “Our aim is to offer the highest levels of quality and user-friendliness. We do this by interconnecting our innovative solutions and continuously developing them in partnership with our customers.”

Expanded functionality in Lido/AMM Airport Moving Map / External Bad Elf GPS receiver successfully tested with KLM on flight deck

Raunheim, Germany | February 26, 2019– Displaying one’s own aircraft position on airport maps helps pilots navigate between the gate and the runway. This function in the Lido/AMM Airport Moving Map from Lufthansa Systems can now be combined with the external Bluetooth GPS receiver from Bad Elf. This GPS is easy to install on the flight deck and considerably cheaper than using GPS information from conventional avionics systems. The small Bad Elf GPS devices accurately show the own-ship position on the airport map. This helps pilots, especially when navigating unfamiliar airports, and improves their situational awareness.

The new function was successfully tested with the customer KLM Royal Dutch Airlines during live operations between March and October 2018. “Since 2015 we have been using the digital Lido/mPilot maps across our entire fleet,” said Maarten Koudijs, Manager Digitizing & Navigation Support at KLM. “The Lido/AMM tests with the Bad Elf GPS device continually improved our setup. We also had test flights on different aircraft types, including B737, B777, B787 and A330. We are very pleased with the result of the field tests and are currently reviewing whether to introduce Lido/AMM with GPS-based own-ship position.”

Taken together, the navigation applications from Lufthansa Systems have thus far supported the following aircraft interface devices (AIDs) for integrating GPS information: the AID from Boeing ONS, the UTC Aerospace Systems Tablet Interface Module® (UTAS TIM) and GroundLink AID+ from Teledyne. Other cheaper GPS solutions, by contrast, are often not precise enough for use at airports. This new cooperation with Bad Elf led to the solution: a portable, external GPS device that is smaller than a conventional smartphone and can be simply certified for use on the flight deck. The Bad Elf GPS connects to the digital maps either via Bluetooth or cable, and no further installation is necessary. The new function has already been integrated into Lido/mPilot for iOS and Lido/eRouteManual for Windows. All that an airline needs to use it is the Bad Elf GPS Pro+ accessory.

“Displaying the own-ship position in Lido/AMM is not new in itself, but it has not often been requested by customers to date. We are therefore delighted that, thanks to our cooperation with Bad Elf, we can offer a more cost-efficient solution that is also fast and easy to integrate,” explained Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “We are confident that more airlines will now use this feature, which will further improve safety while navigating at airports.”

Lido/mPilot is Lido´s mapping solution for the iPad. Lido/eRouteManual is the Windows-based app for navigation maps. Both applications include all important route information, including altitude data, airways and airport information. The systems can access data such as GPS information, speed and the direction of the airport in order to display the position and orientation of the aircraft on the integrated Airport Moving Map (Lido/AMM).

Bad Elf has been offering external GPS receivers for improved situational awareness in electronic flight bag applications to private, military, and commercial pilots since 2010. Further information about Bad Elf can be found online at https://bad-elf.com/airlines

Navigation solution implemented for Ukrainian airline in just two weeks

Raunheim | August 1, 2018– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it has acquired Fan Air Ltd. as a new customer. The Ukrainian startup airline will use Lido/mPilot from Lufthansa Systems for the next five years. This navigation solution was implemented for the airline in the space of just two weeks after the contract was signed.

“A Ukrainian airline that we have a good relationship with is also using Lido/mPilot and recommended the product to us. We looked at the solution and were immediately impressed by the advantages it offers. Since the implementation, our pilots can access all the necessary navigation maps and documents on their iPads from anywhere, at any time,” said Yakovanko Oleksandr, Chief of Flight Safety Department at Fan Air Ltd.

Lido/mPilot is Lido/Navigation’s charting solution for the iPad. The application contains all important route information, such as altitude data, airways and airport data. The system can access relevant avionics data such as GPS information, speed and the aircraft’s target direction, thus enabling it to display position and orientation of the aircraft on the integrated Airport Moving Map (Lido/AMM).

The Lido charts are generated directly from the certified Lido/FMS navigation database and meet the highest standard of precision and quality. The charting standard was developed by navigation experts in collaboration with pilots, licensed dispatchers and IT specialists. The charts are to-scale and include terrain and topographical data. They also depict true-to-scale topographic information and contain standardized color coding. All these features help to increase pilots’ situation awareness.

“It normally takes around two months to implement Lido/mPilot. But due to special customer requirements, this had to go faster for Fan Air Ltd., so we implemented the solution in just two weeks,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems. “We are delighted that we can help this young airline digitally and efficiently control its navigation processes right from the start.”

Fan Air Ltd. was founded at the start of 2018 and is based at Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) in Ukraine. The airline operates scheduled flights from Kiev to Greece, as well as charter flights from the Ukraine to Turkey, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria.

Airline will use Lido/Flight 4D, NetLine/Ops ++ and Revenue Integrity

Raunheim, Germany | June 12, 2018–Lufthansa Systems today announced that Air Malta will be optimizing its processes using IT solutions from Lufthansa Systems, thus saving the airline time and money. It will soon start planning flights with Lido/Flight 4D, monitoring flight operations with NetLine/Ops ++ and managing its flight firming with Revenue Integrity.

“We are in a growth phase and are headed towards a profitable future. We’ve set ourselves very ambitious goals. The IT solutions from Lufthansa Systems will help us achieve them. With these solutions, we can further optimize our route planning, improve our flight operations management and handle reservations more quickly. This will save us time and money,” said Alan Talbot CIO at Air Malta.

The Lido/Flight 4D flight planning solution calculates the most suitable route for each Air Malta flight based on all relevant flight data, such as weather conditions and the current airspace situation, including any restrictions. The solution enables airlines to optimize their flying time, costs and fuel consumption when planning routes. NetLine/Ops ++ monitors current flight operations. Air Malta can use this solution to avoid disruptions and significantly lower the costs incurred by delays. With its management-by-exception approach,NetLine/Ops ++ eliminates diversions caused by minor problems. The operations controller can focus on critical flights which demand a fast reaction. Revenue Integrity will support Air Malta in its primary revenue management goal: maximizing earnings. The solution improves the quality of reservation data and optimizes inventory control and demand forecasts. This lowers the compensation payments incurred through overbooking and losses on account of seat spoilage. Experts estimate that airlines can increase their revenue by around one euro per segment booked and thus improve their financial result by an average of two to three percent.

“Air Malta was won over by the high quality of our products as well as the potential savings and flexibility offered by our solutions. For example, we connected Revenue Integrity to a third-party reservation system for Air Malta,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

Air Malta is the flag carrier of Malta, with headquarters in Luqa. It began operating in 1974 and has a fleet of ten aircraft. Air Malta serves destinations in Europe, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

Further convergence of successful Lido product lines from airline IT specialist

Raunheim | October 26, 2017–Lufthansa Systems today announced that it is developing a new generation of flight planning and navigation solutions following the slogan #takeoffwithlido. The proven Lido/Flight 4D (flight planning), Lido/Navigation (navigation solutions) and Lido/Performance (flight performance calculation) product lines will become even more integrated, providing airlines a seamless digital process across all flight operations – from flight planning to an aircraft’s parking position at its destination. Lufthansa Systems emphasizes its role as a market player that is independent from aircraft manufacturers, which enables it to offer a standardized solution for all of an airline’s different aircraft types.

“Digitalization is affecting the entire aviation industry. We see this in the flight planning and navigation process in particular. Everything is becoming increasingly dynamic and data-driven. Paper maps are being replaced by state-of-the-art apps. New technologies such as in-flight connectivity offer the opportunity to display tactical real-time data such as weather, airspace and traffic information. This is precisely where our integrated Lido solutions come in,” explained Dr. Bernd Jurisch, who took over as Head of the Lido product lines at Lufthansa Systems in October.

The mutual exchange of data is a key benefit to using Lido products for flight planning and navigation. This is because Lido provides the same information to everyone involved in flight operations – both in the air and on the ground – in situations such as an approach with poor visibility, for example. The information seen by pilots on their Lido/Navigation maps is based on the same data as the information available to the flight planner. This means the pilot and flight planner can coordinate the minimal decision height more safely and efficiently when choosing an alternate airport and make well-founded decisions in critical situations – such as whether a landing should be aborted or not.

The shared database is also used when acute meteorological phenomena demand a change to the planned route. New information can also be conveyed to pilots immediately during a flight. All of this not only saves time, it also improves safety.

During normal flight operations, too, the solutions work together seamlessly. Dispatchers can use Lido/Flight 4D to calculate the best route for a specific flight based on all flight-related data. Pilots can access this briefing information online. Thanks to the seamless integration of the products, Chart Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) can also be added to the flight plans of Lido/Flight 4D. At the same time, information from the ATS flight plan can be uploaded and displayed in the mobile map solution that the pilots use for navigation. This covers departure, destination and alternate airports, takeoff and landing procedures, and waypoints along the route.

Lufthansa Systems additionally offers solutions for calculating and monitoring flight performance. These help airlines keep track of the continually changing obstacle situation at airports so they can adapt their departure procedures accordingly and optimize their fuel consumption for flight planning. The Lido product suite thus offers the perfect portfolio for an airline’s entire flight operations.

Overview of the Lido product suite:

Lido/Flight 4D

Lido/Flight 4D – Flight planning solution

Lido/Performance

Lido/AirportObstacleData – Airport-specific obstacle database with departure procedures
Lido/TakeOff & Lido/Landing – Calculation of optimal flight performance for takeoff and landing
Lido/APM – Service for comparing target/actual performance data (aircraft performance monitoring)

Lido/Navigation

Lido/FMS – Navigation data for flight management systems
Lido/SkyData – ARINC 424 data
Lido/SurfaceData – Full-coverage obstacle database
Lido/RouteManual – Paper-based navigation maps
Lido/eRouteManual – Windows-based app for navigation maps
Lido/mPilot – iOS-based app for navigation maps
Lido/AMM – Airport Moving Map
Lido/AMDB – Geo-referenced database for airports

The “Take-off with Lido” video describes the phases of flight operations that can be controlled smartly and efficiently using Lido products. https://youtu.be/RLFvM3iJsuQ

Caption (Copyright: Lufthansa Systems): The Lido product suite from Lufthansa Systems offers the perfect solution for every phase of flight operations – from gate to gate.

More information on the Lido product suite can be found online at

https://www.lhsystems.com/solutions/flight-navigation-solutions

Intelligent mobility: Safer flights thanks to Lido/SurfaceData – digital obstacle database enables early detection of air traffic obstacles
Raunheim/Berlin, Germany | June 29, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it has received the German Mobility Award for its Lido/SurfaceData obstacle database, which was released in early 2017. This award is presented by the “Germany – Land of Ideas” initiative and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Lufthansa Systems is one of ten award-winners chosen by the 16-member expert jury from a total of 170 applicants. The winning projects in this year’s competition, which focused on safety, reveal the opportunities that digitalization offers for the intelligent mobility of tomorrow. The early detection and avoidance of obstacles is essential to safe aircraft navigation. The award-winning Lido/SurfaceData global obstacle database is the basis for digital warning systems that increase air traffic safety.

“Lufthansa Systems has long maintained an internal database of aviation obstacles, but this was tailored solely to the requirements of its own products,” said Michael Sauter, Head of Product Development Lido/SurfaceData at Lufthansa Systems. “With Lido/SurfaceData, Lufthansa Systems is now offering a digitally certified and globally standardized database of man-made obstacles, such as skyscrapers, bridges, cranes and wind turbines, which can be used for a variety of external applications. For example, avionics systems can visualize the obstacles as 3D models.”

Digital terrain models and aviation obstacle databases are becoming increasingly important, especially in light of autonomous, uncrewed aircraft. The obstacle data based on the Lufthansa Systems database is processed in accordance with RTCA DO-200 and meets the RTCA industry standards DO-276 and DO-291. Intensive quality controls in each phase of the process guarantee a premium product. Furthermore, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the Lido/SurfaceData data in accordance with LoA Type 1 and will also regularly audit it in the future.

Lido/SurfaceData comprises information on more than one million obstacles worldwide, including both fixed and mobile objects that could pose a threat to air traffic safety. This standardized collection of obstacle data is based on official sources such as Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP). Lido/SurfaceData is currently being used primarily to calculate minimum safe altitudes, in enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS), and in terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) and synthetic vision systems. Airlines and airport operators can use the data for analyses or designing flight procedures. The data can be applied in helicopter software as well. Future technologies, such as the enhancement of terrain models with augmented reality and uncrewed flights, could also benefit from this data. Digital warning systems and technical support for synthetic vision improve the situational awareness of pilots and therefore increase air traffic safety.

The award ceremony was held on June 28 at the German Federal Ministry of Transport in Berlin. Jury chairwoman Dorothee Baer, Parliamentary State Secretary for the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, and Ute Weiland, Managing Director of the “Germany – Land of Ideas” initiative, honored the people responsible for the ten award-winning projects.

“We are proud to have received the German Mobility Award for Lido/SurfaceData,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “This year’s theme of safety is an issue particularly close to our hearts. If our digital solutions can improve flight safety and contribute to even more intelligent mobility, then we will have achieved our goal.”

As an aviation IT specialist, Lufthansa Systems is an expert in the field of aircraft navigation. Lido/Navigation solutions are being used successfully by more than 200 airlines and customers of all sizes, with various business models and different alliances. Each year, around 570 million passengers worldwide take flights that rely on paper-based or electronic navigation maps from Lufthansa Systems. In the context of route planning, Lufthansa Systems also has years of experience in processing obstacle data.

• Cambodian carrier Sky Angkor Airlines opts for mobile navigation charts

Raunheim, Germany | August 31, 2016– Lufthansa Systems today announced that Sky Angkor Airlines has opted for its Lido/mPilot mobile navigation solution as well as the paper-based charts of Lido/RouteManual. The two companies signed a five-year contract for the solution at the start of this year. Lido/RouteManual is already in use, the mobile navigation solution will be operational this fall.

“We were convinced by the comprehensive functionality of the Lido/mPilot navigation app, and by its reliability,” said Captain Gorazd Cerne, Training Manager at Sky Angkor Airlines. “By selecting Lufthansa Systems, we have opted for a new IT solution providing us the content and function we need by a reasonable price. We look forward to developing our successful partnership together with Lufthansa Systems.”

Lido/mPilot is a mobile navigation solution which supports pilots before, during and after a flight. Around 60 airlines have already decided to deploy Lido/mPilot since the app was launched in early 2015. The modular app offers features such as 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.

Layout, colors and symbols are identical in the charts´ paper and electronic versions. They comprise navigation charts for take-off and landing procedures as well as airport and route charts including all important route information like altitude and airport data. These charts are generated directly from the Lido navigation database, which includes worldwide aeronautical information and topographical data.

“We are delighted to have Sky Angkor Airlines as a new customer in the Asia/Pacific region. This agreement also highlights the growing importance of digitization in the airline industry,” said Tom Vandendael, Senior Vice President Regional Management Asia/Pacific.

Sky Angkor Airlines is a regional Asian carrier based at Siem Reap International Airport in Cambodia. Established in 2011, the airline has a fleet of five aircraft serving destinations in several countries including Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam.

• Lido/Flight 4D principles Automation First and Management by Exception are highlighted at the 2016 Lido/Flight User Group Conference.

Raunheim, Germany | May 31, 2016– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will present its new Lido/Flight 4D product generation at the 2016 Lido/Flight User Group (LUG) Conference. This annual conference focuses on technical innovations relating to the flight planning system as well as dialog with representatives of Lufthansa Systems’ customer base. The meeting between LUG members and Lufthansa Systems’ product experts is taking place this Wednesday and Thursday in Lisbon, the headquarters of this year’s partner airline TAP Portugal.

The core features of the flight planning solution are the integrated and continually updated aeronautical database and the so-called optimizer. Based on all flight-related data, weather conditions and the current airspace situation including any restrictions, Lido/Flight 4D calculates the most suitable route for each flight. By migrating to the new product generation, customers will benefit from a modern architecture offering improved integration, a modern graphical user interface and display, 4D optimization and extensively automated flight planning and control processes.

“Our airline customers want a reliable, flexible and innovative solution, because in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment, users have to be able to focus on critical flights,” said Rene Vierke, Director Lido Product Management & Consulting at Lufthansa Systems. “Lido/Flight 4D follows the principles of Automation First and Management by Exception, meaning that our solution simplifies routine tasks and makes it possible to quickly make the right decisions in critical situations.”

The first two releases of Lido/Flight 4D this year cover certain basic components for migrating to current technologies as well as the first functional innovations and improvements for takeoff and landing weight optimization, crew briefing and route optimization.

The new features of Lido/Flight 4D will be presented to existing customers in small groups during the LUG Conference so that individual questions and suggestions can be addressed more directly. The conference will also include presentations on the current status of the overall project, the outlook for planned future developments and opportunities to meet with the representatives of other airlines and the experts from Lufthansa Systems.

Under the name Lido/Flight the product has performed successfully in the market for more than 15 years. Around 120 airlines with a total of more than 6,000 aircraft are currently using the flight planning solution from Lufthansa Systems. 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.