Airplane Health Management Service Improves Airplane Efficiency

Japan Airlines will expand Airplane Health Management (AHM) coverage to its future Boeing 787 fleet. AHM is a software system that monitors, collects and analyzes airplane data to give airplane customers valuable, real-time maintenance information. This information allows Japan Airlines to initiate the needed maintenance immediately upon arrival at the airport gate.

Japan Airlines has 35 787 airplanes on order, and has licensed Airplane Health Management for these airplanes in addition to its existing fleet of 46 777 airplanes.

"The Airplane Health Management program has been helping Japan Airlines optimize the reliability of our fleet of 777s, and it will greatly support a successful introduction of the 787 into the family," said Nobuhiro Sato, Executive Officer of Engineering and Maintenance, Japan Airlines. "On-time performance is very important to passengers and our goal is to continue providing our customers a positive experience."

Japan Airlines was a developmental partner for the original Airplane Health Management development effort and has used the service continuously since 2005. The airline will use the AHM Real Time Fault Management Module on their 777 and 787 airplanes to communicate in-flight information to ground stations for diagnosis and quick operational decisions by scanning troubleshooting and historical repair data. Japan Airlines, recognized in the last 2 consecutive years as the most punctual major global airline, uses the system's output to organize any needed maintenance operations and put the right people, parts and equipment in the right place at the right time for faster turnaround.

"Delivering real-time decision support information that improves airplane performance has proven to be very valuable to our customers," said Per Noren, vice president of Information Services for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services.

Airplane Health Management is easily accessed through the MyBoeingFleet.com portal. Alerts and notifications are delivered to airline personnel through a variety of communication methods including Internet, personal digital assistants, e-mail and mobile devices.

Airplane Health Management is a key component in the larger Boeing vision of helping customers succeed by transforming data into information they can use in real time to operate as efficiently as possible.

FMI: www.jal.com, www.boeing.com