• First presentation of new gaming add-on to BoardConnect at APEX EXPO in Los Angeles | Exclusive pre-conference in the Lufthansa #FlyingLab above the Atlantic

Raunheim/Los Angeles | August 29, 2019– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will be showcasing the new inflight gaming component on its BoardConnect open IT platform at this year’s Airline Passenger Experience Expo (APEX EXPO) in Los Angeles from September 9-12. The company has digitally adapted the fantasy card game Galaxy Duel and integrated it into the platform in partnership with gaming provider Gladi8tor. Galaxy Duel offers features such as an eSports league, leaderboards and live streaming. The brand-new prototype of the inflight game will be on show at stand 1901, where it can be tested with an exclusive invitation.

Lufthansa Systems’ BoardConnect technology enables airlines to use the onboard IT platform for their specific applications, with possibilities extending far beyond mere entertainment. By integrating onboard gaming into BoardConnect, airline IT specialist provider Lufthansa Systems is responding to the ever-expanding gaming market, where it sees an opportunity for airlines to adapt their inflight entertainment to their passengers’ different needs and stand out from their competitors by offering an enhanced passenger experience.

“With 17 airlines having already opted for BoardConnect, our platform is being used on almost 900 aircraft,” said Jan-Peter Gänse, Head of Passenger Experience Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “By developing the open BoardConnect Dock platform, we have enabled our customers to expand the inflight entertainment solution to include a wide range of applications and thus offer their passengers a personalized service. The possibilities are endless. Inflight gaming is just one of many conceivable enhancements.”

Exclusive kick-off event: Lufthansa #FlyingLab en route to APEX EXPO

Before the official launch of APEX EXPO 2019, Lufthansa Systems is organizing a pre-conference on flight LH 452 from Munich to Los Angeles on September 7 in partnership with Lufthansa and APEX. The largest passenger aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet A380 will serve as a flying innovation platform as it crosses the Atlantic, setting the stage for “powering the next generation of passenger experience” and giving industry leaders an opportunity to showcase the latest trends and developments in the passenger experience space. The co-initiator and host of this FlyingLab flight is Lufthansa Systems CEO Olivier Krüger, who will kick off the event by welcoming interesting people taking part in the discussions.

All of the passengers on board can follow the expert presentations live, try out innovative new products and enjoy music performed live in the cabin. The speakers and their presentations can be streamed live to any WiFi-enabled device on board. The event will be broadcast onboard via the BoardConnect solution, illustrating one of the many different possible applications for Lufthansa Systems’ digital platform.

For the first time, a FlyingLab flight will include a design sprint session in which selected passengers can participate and develop new ideas for an enhanced passenger experience with the help of industry experts. The results of this workshop will be presented to the other passengers on board and the most promising suggestion will then be implemented.

BoardConnect Dock

With its new BoardConnect Dock solution, Lufthansa Systems is providing technology, content and financing partners with a BoardConnect framework for creating their own onboard program. Depending on the partner, this might include a connectivity portal, classic IFE content or a platform with booking options and targeted advertising to generate additional revenue.

BoardConnect

BoardConnect is Lufthansa Systems’ complete solution for the digital passenger experience that continues to address airlines of all sizes with different business models. In addition to traditional IFE features such as moving maps, movies, music, games and destination information, customers can choose the content they want from a wide range of services available through Lufthansa Systems’ strong partner network. This content can also be provided simply and easily from the cloud if desired.

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.”

Successful implementation of NetLine, Lido and SIRAX applications on cloud platform | Improved service quality and level of innovation

Raunheim, Germany | April 17, 2019–Lufthansa Systems today announced that it has integrated its solutions for flight operations (NetLine), route planning and navigation (Lido) and finance management (SIRAX) into a new cloud delivery platform following a successful project phase. The Global Aviation Cloud is a cloud service developed specifically to meet the needs and security standards of airlines. Lufthansa Systems has thus created a forward-looking infrastructure for its customers which deliver administrative, operational and technological benefits. The ultimate goal is to offer the entire Lufthansa Systems product portfolio as a cloud service in the near future.

“The strategic shift from monolithic legacy systems to cloud services is a major challenge in the aviation industry. Technologies such as AIX, which was the basis for the development of our Lido product, are not easy for cloud platforms to handle because they are closely tied to hardware. We therefore completely overhauled Lido’s software architecture so that we could expedite the creation of the cloud,” said Oliver Grimm, Head of IT Infrastructure Development, Technology & Information Security at Lufthansa Systems. “We successfully tested the various solutions from the cloud, and the first customers have already migrated. This has laid the foundation for the innovative and future-proof Global Aviation Cloud.”

Thanks to cloud solutions, it is often no longer necessary to run applications, systems and resources locally on a physical server (on-premise). Instead, they can be provided and used as needed in the form of software as a service (SaaS). “With the SaaS model we offer our customers full service from a single source so they can concentrate on their core business. As the service provider, Lufthansa Systems handles all of the IT administration, including maintenance and software updates,” said Grimm.

A complete cloud governance model was defined and set up as part of the Global Aviation Cloud. This also covers the creation of new teams and roles. The Operations Center in Budapest, for example, is responsible for infrastructure operations and was established alongside the pure application operations. The end-to-end managed service is therefore completely within the domain of Lufthansa Systems.

Lufthansa Systems primarily uses Microsoft Azure as its public cloud provider. Special technical set-ups relating mainly to security aspects turn the public cloud into a virtual private data center. With a growing number of data centers in 54 regions around the world, Azure can provide services in close proximity to customer sites, which enables faster data transmission. The strategic partnership with the cloud provider additionally increases the flexibility, scalability and security of the applications.

By 2021, the more than 70 customers using Lido, NetLine and SIRAX products should be able to access the solutions on-demand from the Global Aviation Cloud.

New design exhibition stand for the first time at AIX in Hamburg | Responsible marketing with sustainable materials and ecological advertising media

Raunheim, Germany | April 1, 2019– Lufthansa Systems employs IT and aviation experts who are passionate about their products and customers – real insiders. This is what the new image campaign of the airline IT specialist conveys: “We’re into IT”. The new slogan is also an invitation to customers and partners to take a closer look. Wherever digitalization and aviation come together, Lufthansa Systems and its solutions are also involved.

This basic idea, which Lufthansa Systems published at the end of January at the same time as a new design, is also reflected in the new booth concept for trade shows. This stand will be used for the first time at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. The key visual shows people who literally merge with the matter in the background. In an extraordinary way, digital, analogue and living components are combined at the stand of the airline IT specialist.

“Our concept is consciously very futuristic and modern. At first glance, it should convey the fact that we at Lufthansa Systems are flexible in all directions and can adapt to the requirements of the respective project. We are open to cooperation with partners and want to revolutionize the airline world together with them and our many customers,” says Ansgar Lübbehusen, Head of Marketing & Communications at Lufthansa Systems.

The award-winning BoardConnect platform will be presented with a new service for partners under the name BoardConnect Dock. (More on this in the press release of April 1.)

Likewise, a new range of advertising materials, which are always in high demand, was developed. Lufthansa Systems attached particular importance to sustainability in the newly selected articles. “The debate about plastic waste and sustainability does not stop at IT and marketing either. We are proud to be able to make a contribution to greater sustainability with our environmentally friendly gift articles,” adds Lübbehusen. Plastic ducks and articles that do not create any real added value are now a thing of the past. In contrast, Lufthansa Systems invites customers and partners to its stand for a cup of coffee in a portable and recyclable mug. Not only during AIX a useful utensil.

 

 

 

Heading Into the Future with the Flight Planning Solution from Lufthansa Systems

Raunheim | August 21, 2018–Lufthansa Systems today announced that Cargolux Airlines will be deploying Lido/Flight 4D, the new generation of its proven flight planning solution that automates and optimizes flight planning and control processes. The two companies recently signed a long-term agreement to this effect.

„We want to continue our growth in the future and impress our customers with the quality of our services. This is why we presented our 2025 Strategy last year and began to review and optimize all business processes. Going forward, Lido/Flight 4D will calculate the most efficient route for us from countless possible combinations while taking all current flight-related data into account. Its high degree of automation allows us to calculate the best route in terms of costs, flight time or fuel consumption without having to add personnel,” said Claude Zehren, Executive Vice President Flight Operations at Cargolux Airlines.

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. Lido/Flight 4D also enables the strategic analysis of future flight routes and statistical evaluation of specific city pairs. The core features of Lido/Flight 4D are its integrated and continually updated aeronautical database and the so-called optimizer. 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 flight times by 1.9 percent and save 1.6 percent of air traffic control fees compared to its competitors. In addition to Lido/Flight 4D, Cargolux also uses obstacle data from Lido/ObstacleData and the Lido/FMS data for a flight simulator.

„Cargolux thoroughly reviewed Lido/Flight 4D before opting for our solution based on its performance and the expertise of our team. We are delighted to be able to support Cargolux in achieving the goals of its 2025 Strategy,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

The Luxembourg-based freight carrier Cargolux was established in 1970. It operates a global network spanning more than 90 destinations with its fleet of Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. Cargolux is a member of the Association of Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Raunheim | August 15, 2018–Lufthansa Systems supports airlines worldwide in all their processes with digital solutions – from network and route planning to booking and revenue management systems to on-board navigation and entertainment solutions. The digitalization of the aviation industry is proceeding rapidly, resulting in a continued growth of the demand for expertise in this field. The Lufthansa subsidiary based in Raunheim near Frankfurt am Main is therefore seeking reinforcements: aviation heroes with IT superpowers.

“Working at Lufthansa Systems means actively shaping the future of aviation with smart IT solutions. As I see it, it has become relatively easy to develop something like an app. The challenge lies in integrating innovative new solutions into existing system landscapes and structures. Some airline processes are very complex. Thanks to our years of experience, we have an extreme competitive advantage here. And this benefits not just the Lufthansa Group, but also our more than 350 airline customers worldwide,” said Olivier Krüger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

Lufthansa Systems is looking for specialists in a variety of areas, from newcomers to experienced professionals, from software architects, data scientists and DevOps specialists to scrum masters and product owners. But along with IT specialists, the company is also seeking consultants and aeronauts as well as mathematicians and physicists. “With us, anyone can develop their full potential as an aviation hero,” Krüger says.

Reinforcements are needed at the headquarters in Raunheim and at the other two German offices in Berlin and Hamburg. Close cooperation with sites in 16 other countries and customers all over the world ensure an international environment and exciting, varied projects.

Agile methods such as scrum and design thinking, flat hierarchies and flexible working hours are the hallmarks of the working world at Lufthansa Systems. The company’s new headquarters at Airport Garden in Raunheim, one of the most cutting-edge buildings in the Lufthansa Group, is the perfect setting for implementing this modern work concept in an open atmosphere and for promoting communication and teamwork.

A variety of services for employees, an internal innovation management system and the benefits of the Lufthansa Group complete the package.

Tanja Altmann, Head of Human Resources, presents Lufthansa Systems and the tasks for Aviation Heroes in a video, which can be found online together with further information on vacancies in IT at Lufthansa Systems: aviationheroes.lhsystems.com

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 customers of the revenue accounting solution meet up in Hamburg

Raunheim | June 27, 2018– Lufthansa Systems is hosting its 13th Sirax User Conference this week. The Sirax community is meeting in Hamburg from June 26 to 28. At the event, Lufthansa Systems presents new features for the Sirax product family such as the new X1 Tax Module for automatic tax calculation. Around 50 attendees, including representatives of 20 customer airlines of all sizes and business models, will use the conference to discuss current issues and trends, and define new ideas for upcoming releases.

“Efficient and accurate revenue accounting has to meet requirements that are complex and sometimes change dynamically. Tax regulations and country-specific aspects also need to be considered,” said Andreas Reimann, Head of Finance & Commercial Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “Our Sirax product family is ideally positioned to meet these requirements with the new X1 Tax Module, and it is continuously advanced, updated and enhanced together with our customers.”

The new X1 Tax Module, which is part of the Sirax revenue accounting solution, calculates all applicable taxes fully automatically based on travel data. The system checks tax regulations and other conditions (YQ/YR conditions) depending on the routing, issue terms and other details of a passenger’s trip and applies the appropriate taxes for the trip. Tax calculation is based on Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) tax rules (X1/2) and thus includes all required charges, levies and fees (TTBS/RATD, YQ/YR and PFC). All daily updates provided by ATPCO are automatically fed into the tax module’s database.

The new functionality has been developed on customer request and is now available to all Sirax customers. Many product enhancements such as this new feature are initiated directly by the community, including new functionalities for automatically detecting scheduled changes, bug fixes related to the Fare Calculation Box, and workflow improvements.

Prior to the annual user conference, the community always comes together without Lufthansa Systems to collect suggestions for product enhancements and discuss which ideas deliver the greatest benefit to airlines. These ideas are then presented during the conference. “This approach is unique in the industry and highly appreciated by our customers,” said Reimann. “It enables us to adapt the Sirax revenue accounting solution even more precisely to client-specific requirements.”

In addition to new functionalities, Lufthansa Systems also presents the new Sirax product family portfolio at this year’s user conference. The product family includes revenue accounting products like Sirax/RA, Sirax/Credit and Sirax/Cockpit, services such as providing the new X1 Tax Module as a web service, and encryption systems (pEngine, sEngine). Lufthansa Systems also offers corresponding consulting services.

More information on the Sirax product family is available online at:
https://www.lhsystems.com/solutions/finance-solutions-products

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.

Almost 500 airline experts are meeting this week at one of the largest international airline IT user conferences. Lufthansa Systems will showcase the latest innovations in the digital world of aviation.

Raunheim | May 2, 2018– How do airlines plan their networks in the age of digitalization? What opportunities do artificial intelligence and machine learning offer for managing flight operations? And how will crews communicate with each other in the future? Lufthansa Systems will discuss these and other questions relating to the digital transformation of the aviation industry with its airline customers this week. The Airline Forum starts today at the Lufthansa Training & Conference Center in Seeheim under the slogan of “Transformation & YOU.” Almost 500 participants, among them representatives of around 80 airlines worldwide, will learn about the latest developments in the portfolio of the airline IT specialist. Lufthansa Systems advises and supports airlines in their digital transformation. The aviation IT experts show what sustainable airline processes can look like and provide hands-on support to customers in implementing their projects.

“The fourth industrial revolution – also known as Industry 4.0 – started long ago. An era of data communication, constant connectivity and a digital workforce. These new technologies massively influence an airline’s processes,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

The keynote on the topic of “Transforming business through data-driven personalization” will be held by Dr. Andreas Ribbrock, Principal Data Scientist at the Lufthansa Systems subsidiary zeroG, and Marcel Kling, head of the SMILE personalization program in the Lufthansa Group. Other customers will also have the opportunity to speak and report on successful projects, including Avianca Holdings and Pegasus Airlines. The next two and a half days will be devoted to some 80 lectures and workshops as well as personal conversations with product experts and other airlines. Attendees can put together their own individual program from a comprehensive range of topics.

The focus is on new product developments and innovations in the NetLine product family, which will be presented by experts from Lufthansa Systems and its industry partners. These include current research findings from the field of robust flight planning and the new Lufthansa Systems Analytical Platform. Consulting services relating to the new GDPR, among other things, are also on the agenda.

“At the Airline Forum, we want to show our customers how we are transforming our products and solutions using new technologies. And we want to talk about the challenges facing airlines in their digital transformation. We look forward to a lively conversation,” said Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

There will be ample opportunity for discussion particularly in the Garden of Transformation. This is where Airline Forum participants can try out the product innovations for themselves with live demos and talk to experts right after the sessions. Their feedback is critical to the further optimization of products.

AIX 2018: Entertainment, connectivity, shopping and safety – Lufthansa Systems presents new solutions to ensure the best passenger experience and aircraft digitalization together with Lufthansa Technik and Retail inMotion

Raunheim/Hamburg | March 28, 2018– The Lufthansa Group is in an excellent position to be successful in in-flight entertainment (IFE) and aircraft digitalization: Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Technik and Retail inMotion are collaborating closely to drive the digital transformation above the clouds and enable passengers to have a modern and positive travel experience. The companies present their solutions for in-flight entertainment, connectivity, shopping and other digital on-board offerings at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg from April 10 to 12. According to the motto “One World of IFEC services”, Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik will be at booth #4B11and booth #6B80.

Supporting an IFE product for an airline with a significant fleet takes a professional support organization and adequate resources – like the one offered by the Lufthansa Group. It is something most of the smaller companies with IFE solutions cannot deliver. “I have witnessed a trend toward professionalization in the industry, and I am sure that over the next two to three years we will see a huge consolidation in the market for wireless IFE solutions with only a handful of providers surviving”, says Jan-Peter Gaense, Head of Passenger Experience Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “Together with our Group partners we are in an excellent position to serve our customers.”

Collaboration with Lufthansa Technik

Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik have been engaged in a close partnership since 2015 to offer airlines inside and outside of the Lufthansa GroupBoardConnect, a modern, multi-functional on-board IT platform with broadband Internet access. Thanks to its state-of-the-art docker technology, BoardConnect can also serve as the basis for an Internet portal.

Lufthansa Technik – with its many years of experience in the field of aircraft modification –handles the equipment of entire fleets from a variety of manufacturers. Lconnect comprises all relevant products and services required to equip an aircraft: In addition to the physical installation, this includes all required aeronautical and regulatory work, conversion planning and materials supply, the manufacture of diverse high-end components such as the WLAN access point, the supply of materials in regular flight operation, and the repair of defective components. “The efficient conversion of large fleets and the reliable return of every single newly equipped aircraft to airline operations are the basis for generating new ancillary revenues,” says Lukas Bucher, Head of Product Connectivity at Lufthansa Technik.

One highlight at this year’s trade fair will be the new Power-&-Safe solution forBoardConnect Portable. This solution was developed by Lufthansa Technik in close cooperation with Lufthansa Systems. In Hamburg, both companies show for the first time using a life-size model how the BoardConnect Portable Mobile Streaming Unit (MSU) can be stowed in a safe inside the overhead storage compartment. Placing an additional power supply has eliminated the need for battery replacement. The solution is currently being installed at Air Europa.

Collaboration with Retail inMotion

Most passengers want personalized services on board an aircraft – easy to use and with relevant content. With that in mind, Lufthansa Systems and Retail inMotion will, for the first time, demonstrate the integration of the BoardConnect open aircraft IT platform with Retail inMotion’s e-commerce solution at this year’s AIX. One of the platform’s features allows passengers to create a personal profile, which the software uses to suggest personalized content. The longer the profile is used, the more the algorithm learns and the better the content recommendations become. The Retail inMotion platform is powered by Vector, its proprietary on-board retail management software. Vector is a comprehensive solution for on-board retail that includes a suite of modules for onboard payment processing and various back-office functionalities.

“The interest in IFE and additional digital on-board offerings has always been very high. After a phase of mostly gathering information and evaluating, we now see more airlines ready to select a specific solution. Depending on the focus of the airline, they either opt for a short-term commitment with a portable solution or move straight to IFEC. Lufthansa Systems is one of the few providers who can deliver customized solutions based on the BoardConnect platform and in cooperation with partners to cover all variations and fleet types along the entire value chain,” emphasized Gaense.

The BoardConnect product suite

BoardConnect enables passengers to use streaming technology during a flight to access an airline’s entertainment program on their own devices. The product suite includes three hardware versions: In addition to the permanently installed classic BoardConnect solution, there is the flexible BoardConnect Portableversion and the BoardConnect Plus connectivity solution. The BoardConnect 5.0 open aircraft IT platform runs on all three versions. Thanks to its modern docker technology, the software enables digital services from partners to be integrated easily and quickly. A demo at the booth shows how easy and fast new applications can be integrated using Docker technology. Lufthansa Systems is also providing content such as movies, TV series, music and magazines with itsBoardConnect Media Services. All products work in perfect harmony with each other and can be acquired separately or in combination.

Jan-Peter Gaense, Head of Passenger Experience Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems, will take part in a panel discussion on „Making IFE accessible for everyone“ (Wednesday, April 11, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm). Free online registration is required at https://www.flightglobal.com/events/aircraft-interiors-expo/forecast-sessions-2018/.

Lufthansa Systems presents a new drone app for consumers and regulators

Raunheim, Germany | March 5, 2018– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will be presenting its new Drone Solutions at this week’s World ATM Congress in Madrid. Congress attendees can try the app in Madrid from 6 to 8 March at booth 1163B. The app takes care of rules and regulations for drone operators. It also displays controlled areas such as airports and airspace for which special regulations apply. Drone operators can use the app to request the permits they need for drone flights or drone use near control zones from regulatory authorities.

Air traffic is fast increasing due to the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles like drones. By 2020, German air traffic control estimates that 1.2 million drones will be flitting about the skies in Germany, while the US FAA expects to see 3.5 million drones in American airspace by 2021. While strict regulations govern drone use to ensure the safety of aircraft, factories and personnel, these rules are not as familiar as they should be to drone operators. “Our app changes that,” says Krzysztof Zaleski, Drones Project Manager at Lufthansa Systems Poland. “We’ve worked with the aerospace industry for many years and have access to relevant airspace data. Accordingly, it’s a logical next step for us to also provide these data to consumers and regulators to help improve aviation safety. And unlike other app developers, we provide all of our safety information free-of-charge to the end user.”

Without a permit, drones are prohibited from flying in close proximity to major international airports, regional airports or military airfields. The app informs drone users about these kinds of zones. Data for the app are drawn from the Lufthansa Systems Lido/SkyData database. Lido/SkyData holds ARINC-424 data that are updated every 28 days. The dataset covers navigational items like airports, heliports, runways, waypoints, navaids, airspaces and airways plus flight procedures.

Drone Solutions can also access other relevant aviation information such as chart data with details of streets, cities or the surrounding landscape, obstacle data covering power lines or tall buildings, plus weather reports. These information are based on the certified data that Lufthansa Systems also uses for its own navigation solutions, for example. One special feature in the new app warns drone owners if an aircraft such as a rescue helicopter could enter the zone where the owner’s drone is flying, thus preventing potential collisions.

The app is also helpful for regulators, as it gives them an at-a-glance overview of where drones are flying, plus reports about unauthorized flights. With the aid of an algorithm built into the app, they can also issue automated flight permits. This not only simplifies their processes and saves regulators time but also increases airspace safety.

Communications expert with a long-standing track record in aviation IT

Raunheim | January 8, 2018– Lufthansa Systems today announced that Ansgar Lübbehusen took over as the company’s Head of Marketing & Communications effective January 1, 2018. In this role he will be responsible not only for communications but also for the entire marketing activities of Lufthansa Systems.

Ansgar Lübbehusen started his career at Lufthansa Systems in 2004 after earning a degree in business administration. In the more than 13 years that he has worked for the aviation IT specialist, he has held various positions in Marketing, Communications and Business Development. After five years in Strategic Marketing, Lübbehusen worked for Lufthansa Systems Americas in the USA from 2009 to 2013. During this time, he was responsible for marketing and market development as well as press and public relations.

Back in Germany, he worked in Business Development at Airline Solutions, taking over a leading position in project management in which he managed communications via online platforms, among other things. In June 2015, Ansgar Lübbehusen took over as Head of Corporate Communications and press spokesman.

More information on Ansgar Lübbehusen on the social Web: Xing;LinkedIN

Open-plan offices in an energy-efficient building to encourage interaction and communication

Raunheim | November 15, 2017– Tradition meets the future: Over the past months, the new Lufthansa Systems company headquarters have taken shape at Airport Garden in Raunheim near Frankfurt. Open-plan workspaces have been created to promote communication and teamwork between the around 800 employees in the modern new building.

“We involved our employees early on in the planning of the new building and worked with them to create a new and inspiring environment. All employees will work in open-plan offices. This improves communication and supports the introduction of a flexible workplace model, which also promotes cooperation on various teams and projects,” said Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

The new building offers a total of 18,000 square meters of gross floor space which is rented by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and sublet to its subsidiaries Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Industry Solutions. Lufthansa Industry Solutions is headquartered in Norderstedt and has 200 employees in Raunheim. A cafeteria with around 300 seats and a parking garage with roughly 400 parking places have been built on the property across from the building. The cafeteria, which is operated by the Lufthansa subsidiary LZ Catering and can be used by other companies at Airport Garden, is located in the historical building that once housed the Resart-Ihm leather factory.

“At Airport Garden we benefit from good transport connections and close proximity to the airport, which gives us access to the headquarters of the Lufthansa Group and our around 300 airline customers worldwide,” said Olivier Krüger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

Employees will start moving into the main building this week, as planned.

The new address is: Lufthansa Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Am Messeplatz 1, 65479 Raunheim. An official opening party for all employees is planned for early March 2018, after the move is complete.

Lufthansa Systems will participate in activities of Cockpit Innovation’s investment fund

Raunheim/Tel Aviv | November 7, 2017– Cockpit Innovation, the high-tech investment arm of EL AL Israel Airlines, and Lufthansa Systems announced the formation of a unique strategic partnership in the realm of aviation and travel entrepreneurship. Under the new partnership, Lufthansa Systems will support with identifying and cultivating breakthrough startup technologies. Furthermore the company will play a major role in the process of locating and selecting startups to cooperate with Cockpit, by sending experts from the company to work with the startups on relevant developments.

Lufthansa Systems’ goal is to partner with promising startups in the aviation and travel industry through the Cockpit Fund activities and then connect the entrepreneurs and their innovative technologies with the industry’s leading airlines. Cockpit has invested so far in seven companies from a variety of fields such as AI, Big Data, communications and fintech (financial technology) that create new, high-quality value for customers and enhance the efficiency of airlines and other sectors in the industry. Among the portfolio are 30secondstofly, Routier and Bidflyer.

In addition, Cockpit recently became a key investor in the second fundraising round of AeroCRS, in which the startup raised more than NIS 1 million. AeroCRS developed a platform based on an advanced SaaS (Software as a Service) model that enables airlines to set up and manage their entire digital operations, distribution and sales system within a short time – sometimes within few days. AeroCRS currently serves more than 50 airlines around the world.

Henry Chen Weinstein, CEO at Cockpit, says: “The right partnerships have proved themselves as innovation catalysts. We are constantly working to expand Cockpit’s global ecosystem. The connection between Cockpit and a leader in the worldwide industry such as Lufthansa Systems is undoubtedly a major achievement on the path toward the ability to invest in and support startups that focus on additional sectors in the industry on a global scale.”

Stefan Auerbach, CEO at Lufthansa Systems, added: “We are delighted being part of this unique digital travel and aviation collaboration for entrepreneurs. The core of our company strategy is to put airlines in a perfect position for the digital future. Together, we will become true sources of potential and inspiration for innovative ideas”

Digitalization in the aircraft: Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik present collaborative connectivity solutions / New messenger app for mCabin

Raunheim/Long Beach | September 19, 2017–
Passengers now expect the same level of connectivity in the air that they enjoy on the ground. This is why Lufthansa Systems is focusing on connectivity at this year’s Airline Passenger Experience Expo (APEX) in Long Beach, California. Group subsidiary Lufthansa Technik is sharing a stand for the first time. The two Lufthansa Group companies, who collaborate closely in providing on-board Internet and entertainment, are both presenting their own connectivity solutions. Lufthansa Systems will demonstrate the multi-award-winning BoardConnect wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) platform and its different hardware versions, while Lufthansa Technik will showcase its LConnect hardware and service package. The airline IT provider is also presenting its new mCabin/Messenger app, one of the apps of the mCabin Product Line. Visit Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik fromSeptember 26 to 28 at APEX at stand #453.

“Like every other aspect of our lives, aviation is becoming ever more digital. Our BoardConnect solutions help make the time spent during the flight part of the passenger’s digital travel experience. This is about much more than just pure IFE solutions. People want to be connected. On-board Internet offers countless possibilities for further improving and personalizing services,” said Jan-Peter Gaense, Director Project & Certification BoardConnect at Lufthansa Systems. “And to provide a reliable Internet connection to our customers, we count on our colleagues at Lufthansa Technik.”

Cooperation between Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik
Two years ago, Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik entered into a long-term global partnership to offer airlines inside and outside of the Lufthansa Group a modern, multi-functional on-board IT platform (based on BoardConnect) with broadband Internet access. Lufthansa Systems is supplying BoardConnect Plus, the required technical infrastructure, such as the server and access points. If necessary, the digital BoardConnect platform with its open architecture can serve as the basis for an Internet portal. Lufthansa Technik – with its many years of experience in the field of aircraft modification – is handling the integration of all systems and components in the aircraft. The LConnect hardware and service package also covers all work required under aviation and certification regulations.

“Together we are in an ideal position to meet the growing demand for on-board Internet. The installation of LConnect takes a maximum of four days and can be carried out during a regular idle period. Parallel to this, our colleagues from Lufthansa Systems can install the BoardConnect systems in the cabin,” said Lukas Bucher, Head of Connectivity Programs at Lufthansa Technik. “We can therefore quickly provide fast broadband Internet access on fleets of any size.”

The primary partner for the satellite connection is Inmarsat, but the Lufthansa subsidiaries also work with other connectivity providers depending on the airline. The solution is currently being used successfully with three different satellite providers. BoardConnect is already running on a total of nearly 400 aircraft, and another 300 will follow in the next twelve months.

The BoardConnect product suite
BoardConnect enables passengers to use streaming technology during a flight to access an airline’s entertainment program on their own devices. The product suite includes three hardware versions: In addition to the permanently installed classic BoardConnect solution, there is the flexible BoardConnect Portable version and the BoardConnect Plus connectivity solution. The digital BoardConnect 5.0 platform runs on all three versions. Lufthansa Systems is also providing content such as movies, TV series, music and magazines with its BoardConnect Media Services. All products work in perfect harmony with each other and can be acquired separately or in combination.

New app in the mCabin product line
Lufthansa Systems is also presenting mCabin/Messenger – the messaging app for iOS, UWP and Android. Since this messaging service is role-based, users do not need to know the name and phone number of the message recipients, only their professional role and, if necessary, the flight number. The app is aimed at cabin crew and ground staff alike and enables fast, direct digital communication. It allows all airline employees to send important operational messages directly to the right person.

“Our mobile solutions for airline employees and cabin crew provide optimum support for airlines of all sizes with all business models as they digitalize their on-board processes. Airlines have expressed a lot of interest in this,” said Julie Ingleson, Product Manager Mobile Solutions/mCabin.

The modular mCabin crew app ensures smooth crew management and optimized processes during every phase of crew service. In addition to mCabin/Messenger, the product line includes two other apps: mCabin/Library+ document management application and mCabin/CityGuide travel guide platform.

Watch the new mCabin/Messenger video:https://www.lhsystems.com/solutions/mobile-solutions/mcabinmessenger

Watch the personal invite from Jan-Peter Gaense to visit Lufthansa Systems at APEX: https://youtu.be/0dJFB_LWyRI

Mobile navigation: Lufthansa Systems acquires multiple new customers

Raunheim, Germany | August 24, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it acquired multiple new customers for its Lido/Navigation mobile map solutions in the first half of 2017, including the airlines Sundair from Germany and Corendon Dutch from the Netherlands. The Turkish airline Freebird renewed its existing agreement and continues to use Lido/mPilot in its fleet.

“With our mobile navigation solutions, we help our customers in their transformation to a digital airline. This digitalization supports the work of pilots and makes processes less prone to error. Since the solutions were launched, more than 120 airlines have opted to use Lido/eRouteManual and Lido/mPilot, and that number continues to grow,” said Igor Dimnik, Director Strategy and Market Development Lido/Navigation at Lufthansa Systems. “Furthermore, with Lido/RouteManual Backup we are offering a new, browser-based backup solution which works entirely independently of our systems in the cloud. Now nothing stands in the way of a completely paperless flight deck.”

While Lido/mPilot brings navigation maps, documents and messages to iPads, Lido/eRouteManual brings this information to tablets running Windows. Both mobile solutions support pilots with the processes involved in flight preparation and operation. They comprise navigation maps for take-off and landing procedures as well as flight maps that include all important route information like altitude data, course of rivers and airport features. These maps are generated directly from the Lido/FMS navigation database, which includes worldwide aeronautical information.

Each year, around 570 million passengers fly on planes based on navigation charts from Lufthansa Systems. More than 200 airlines around the world have deployed Lido/Navigation solutions. The Windows-based Lido/eRouteManual app is already being used by more than 50 airlines worldwide, while around 70 airlines have opted for the Lido/mPilot iPad app since it was launched in early 2015. Based on regular exchange with customers, Lufthansa Systems continuously optimizes its solutions and works on innovative products that expand its portfolio.

Caption (Copyright: Lufthansa Systems): The mobile map solutions from Lufthansa Systems support pilots before, during and after a flight.

Also: Best branding in the IT sector – Aviation IT specialist receives German Brand Award in Gold in category of “Industry Excellence in Branding – IT”

Raunheim/Berlin, Germany | June 30, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it received a German Brand Award as “Corporate Brand of the Year 2017” yesterday evening in Berlin for its new branding. This prestigious award in the “Excellence in Branding” category, the top tier of the competition, recognizes outstanding brand management across all industries. The German Brand Award is presented by the German Design Council and the German Brand Institute to honor successful brands, consistent brand management and sustainable brand communication. The award was presented for the first time in 2016.

“The Lufthansa Systems brand has been overhauled. The realignment has also shaped the company’s identity, which embraces the enthusiasm, love and passion for the future of the airline industry and consistently reflects it in detail. An impressively successful and clean identity, with a clear, harmonious and user-friendly design, which has also made an appealing break with the typical visual language – exclusively depicting aviation technology – and for this reason alone stands out in a refreshing way. The jury considers this a great achievement, one which is not necessarily a given for subsidiary identities of this kind,” explained Andrej Kupetz, executive director of the German Design Council and chairman of the German Brand Award jury, justifying the jury’s decision.

The new Lufthansa Systems brand identity aims to improve the company’s visibility in the airline and aviation market and emotionalize the brand by using expressive, striking and unconventional images, among other things. “We not only want to win over customers with the quality of our products, we want to excite them,” said Ulrike Behrens, Head of Marketing at Lufthansa Systems, who accepted the award at the ceremony in Berlin. “Lufthansa Systems is a dynamic brand that will keep evolving in the future. It is important to us that our development to date has been recognized in this way. It makes us proud and motivates us to continue down this path in the future.”

In addition to the cross-industry award, Lufthansa Systems received a German Brand Award in Gold in the category of “Industry Excellence in Branding – IT.” The key criterion here was the company’s digital Brand Center. “With its Brand Center, Lufthansa Systems continues to move consistently toward the digital future. This makes it possible for employees and external partners alike to have an even stronger emotional experience with the brand, and it enables more open dialog about communication and design. Featuring an attractive and modern design, the Brand Center is a virtual platform with impressive visuals and content that express what constitutes the Lufthansa Systems brand and the spirit of the company. This is brand communication on an extremely high level,” the jury said.

Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems, commented on the company’s brand identity, saying, “We want to make airlines the winners of the digitalization megatrend. We can’t do this by reacting to the market, only by shaping it ourselves with creativity, a wealth of ideas and passion. Our new brand conveys our creativity, our wealth of ideas and our passion. It is a tremendous honor for us that the expert jury also sees it this way.”

Only companies that were nominated by the brand scouts and expert committees of the German Brand Institute for the German Brand Award 2017 could take part in the competition.

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.

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.

A total of 450 airline experts are attending one of the world’s largest airline IT user conferences to find out about the latest innovations in the digital world of aviation.

Raunheim, Germany | May 8, 2017– “Spice IT up! – Digitalization and beyond” is the motto of the Lufthansa Systems Airline Forum, which starts today. A total of 450 participants from around 80 airlines worldwide will learn about the latest developments in the portfolio of the airline IT specialist. The focus is on Commercial Planning and Operations solutions from the NetLine and ProfitLine product lines. “This industry meeting, which is traditionally held in the Lufthansa Training & Conference Center in Seeheim, is one of the most important events in the airline IT sector,” said Ulrike Behrens, Head of Marketing at Lufthansa Systems, who organizes the Airline Forum. Lufthansa Systems advises and supports airlines in their digital transformation. The aviation IT experts show what sustainable airline processes can look like and provide hands-on support to customers in implementing their projects.

“Digitalization has a significant influence on working processes, business models and our daily life. This applies to the aviation industry as well. The core of our company strategy is to put airlines in a perfect position for the digital future,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “We are delighted to welcome so many of our customers’ representatives to the Airline Forum again this year.”

The keynote speech will be held by Lufthansa CIO Dr. Roland Schuetz. Other customers will also have the opportunity to speak and report on successful projects, including United Airlines and the Israeli airline EL AL. The next two and a half days will be devoted to some 80 lectures and workshops as well as personal conversations with product experts and other airlines. Attendees can put together their own individual program from a comprehensive range of topics. The focus will be on new product developments and innovations in the NetLine and ProfitLine product lines, which will be introduced by experts from Lufthansa Systems and its industry partners.

Automation and integration are key aspects in this context. Modern technologies make it easier to collect and evaluate data in order to identify anomalies and automatically learn from them or carry out certain actions. But it is also increasingly important for IT solutions – especially in the field of operations – to be able to share this data and interact with one another in order to make the best decisions and optimize processes. Communication also plays an essential role in the digital world. It should be fast, simple and possible from anywhere. Mobile solutions and a user-friendly layout help meet these demands.

“At the Airline Forum, we present new industry trends and product portfolio developments to our customers. We also want to talk with them about market challenges, new technologies and smart solutions for their specific requirements,” said Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.

The Market Place provides plenty of room for this dialog. This is where Airline Forum participants can try out the product innovations for themselves right after the sessions. Their feedback is critical to the further optimization of Lufthansa Systems’ products.

• Russian carrier adds two more modules to its revenue management solution

Raunheim, DE | April 27, 2017– VIM Airlines has expanded its segment-based revenue management by adding two more modules. The Russian carrier has been using the ProfitLine/Yield Rembrandt revenue management solution from Lufthansa Systems successfully since 2011. Recently, the airline has complemented the two modules Price-Based Forecasting and Multi-Segment Optimization. The two companies signed a six-year agreement to this effect.

Expanding the revenue management solution will enable VIM Airlines to control capacity utilization of its flights even more efficiently, respond more quickly to market changes and thus increase its revenues. “Rembrandt is a truly universal tool that is suitable both for small and large numbers of flights. It is very convenient to use and enables us to flexibly realize our sales strategy. Thanks to the hybrid approach offered in the Price-Based Forecasting module, the built-in mathematical mechanism can be used very flexibly,” said Anna Ambrosova, Vice President at VIM Airlines. “ProfitLine/Yield Rembrandt with its new modules fulfills all of our requirements; the contract extension speaks for itself here.”

Lufthansa Systems’ leading segment-based revenue management solution ProfitLine/Yield Rembrandt supports demanding airlines in a tough market. The solution is suitable for any business model, including traditional management, the undifferentiated management used by low-cost carriers, and various hybrid approaches. Thanks to the new Price-Based Forecasting module, airlines can use both product-sensitive and price-sensitive forecasts and optimizations. This allows them to respond directly to market developments and price changes among competitors. The system monitors the entire network and tracks critical booking patterns in order to optimize the use of an airline’s fleet.

VIM Airlines can now offer tickets at prices based on what customers are willing to pay. This leads to greater efficiency and higher revenues. The system is also quick to implement, and it features an intuitive user interface and flexible reporting options. This makes the product ideal for any airline wanting to optimize its revenue management with minimal investment costs.

“Our revenue management solution was developed specifically to meet the needs of smaller and medium-sized airlines offering point-to-point connections. This makes it the perfect solution for our strategically important customer VIM Airlines,” said Marco Cesa, Senior Vice President Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems. “We firmly believe that the new modules will add to the existing features in supporting VIM Airlines in boosting its revenues.”

VIM Airlines is based in Moscow, Russia, operating international scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo flights out of Moscow Domodedovo Airport and ranks 10th position in the Russian market by the number of passengers carried. With its fleet of 22 aircraft, VIM Airlines serves several domestic and international destinations in Asia and Europe. The airline is using Lido/FMS, Lido/Performance and Lido/RouteManual from Lufthansa Systems.

• Indian Low-Cost Carrier will introduce in-flight entertainment and e-commerce based on Lufthansa Systems´ digital platform BoardConnect

Raunheim, DE | April 20, 2017– The Indian airline SpiceJet will offer in-flight entertainment (IFE) and e-commerce, soon. SpiceJet will equip the whole fleet with BoardConnect Portable from Lufthansa Systems. Both companies signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to this effect after the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. Passengers of SpiceJet will be able to use the new offer within 2017.

“Enhancing customer experience and comfort on-board has always been our prime focus at SpiceJet. SpiceJet expects to be the first low-cost carrier in India to provide this unique entertainment and shopping experience to its customers. This is yet another step towards ensuring a Red, Hot and Spicy experience for our customers, every time they step into a SpiceJet flight,” says Ajay Singh, Chief Managing Director at SpiceJet.

BoardConnect Portable is an all-in-one solution combining all of the technical components needed for an IFE system – such as a server and access points – in a single device, the Mobile Streaming Unit (MSU). An MSU is about the size of a conventional tablet, powered by a battery module, thus avoiding any elaborate cabling. MSUs therefore qualify as non-permanently installed equipment and can be mounted or removed without affecting other components in the aircraft, for example in the galley. This eliminates high costs for hardware, fitting and certification. Additionally, an integrated modem allows rapid wireless updates of content while the aircraft is on the ground. Furthermore, the BoardConnect digital platform caters for easy hosting and seamless integration of third party elements such as e-commerce. This concept convinced SpiceJet. In the near future, passengers can access a variety of entertainment and e-commerce offers of SpiceJet during a flight via their own smartphones and tablets.

“We are proud that with SpiceJet, an extraordinary innovative low-cost airline from India has chosen our award-winning IFE solution BoardConnect Portable,” says Norbert Mueller, Senior Vice President BoardConnect at Lufthansa Systems. “We are looking forward to team up with SpiceJet for a fast and smooth roll-out project.”

SpiceJet is an Indian low-cost carrier based in New Delhi. With a fleet of 55 aircraft of the types Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q 400 SpiceJet offers mainly domestic flights within India and connections to destinations in Southeast Asia.