FlightBridge from intuitive flight operations system SchedAero, part of the Avinode Group, is a new integration with travel management platform that allows FBOs, flight departments, operators and pilots to seamlessly manage trip services in one place. It streamlines reservations of trip services such as hotels, rental cars and catering and is integrated for all SchedAero users. The integration will cut the amount of time operators spend copying data from one system to another by auto-populating trip information from SchedAero to FlightBridge and vice versa, streamlining workflows and reducing the potential for human error.

Executive vice president Johan Sjöberg says: “At SchedAero, we are very focused on reducing the time our customers spend on re-entering data in different systems. This industry relies heavily on emails, and when last minute schedule changes happen it's a real challenge to keep all parties on the same page. Our vision is to streamline this process and allow users to update their data in one place; the rest happens automatically.

“We are constantly adding software that operators use to our portfolio of integrations. The FlightBridge integration is an important step on our journey to a complete and seamless digital workflow for our customers.”

Latitude 33 Aviation charter sales executive Shana Hoernke, a beta-tester customer, says: “In FlightBridge, we love that we can find and compare different car rental companies with prices in just two minutes. We can choose the best option at the best price quickly, and then all the information gets pushed back to SchedAero immediately. During the beta-testing phase of this new integration we have been saving at least three hours a week in time, due to the reduction in duplicate data entry; it has made booking car services a dream.”

FlightBridge is used by more than 300 aircraft operators and is successfully integrated with 20 technology partners.

The company has also launched a new app enabling pilots and crew members to manage and complete vital operational tasks whilst travelling. Key features include the ability to view new missions; access full trip sheets; check passenger information; complete flight and duty logging; and see pull-up directions and amenities for FBOs.

Additional features such as expense reporting will be released in the coming months, giving crews and pilots access to the full spectrum of data they require from the air, the office or from home.

Sjöberg notes: “SchedAero is currently used by more than 350 operators globally, a number we expect to increase following the launch of our new app. We're continuously advancing our SchedAero platform and API capabilities to respond to the needs of larger operators. When those customers requested SchedAero be more accessible to crew members, to ensure a joined-up approach throughout their teams, we delivered. We hope the app encourages the business aviation industry to step back from all the paperwork and take the digital route.”

Saturn Aviation chief pilot Christopher Powell, an early user of the app, adds: “The app has greatly streamlined information sharing and retrieval. I can it open from anywhere and know I'm seeing the most recent data from our schedulers. The flight logging component is my favourite, as it will eliminate a great deal of paperwork for our pilots and streamline our daily reporting. Allowing the app to make calculations and log data that previously required us to perform computations and data entry reduces the chance of erroneous entries and arithmetic errors. Overall, the user interface on the app is wonderful; the labels are intuitive and desired data is easy to locate.”

To keep pilots and crew members up to date, the app sends push notifications to their devices to alert them when a new mission has been assigned and notifies dispatch when a mission has been viewed.

SchedAero, a flexible tool that manages flight operations, integrates fully with all of Avinode's platforms for operators and brokers, as well as numerous third-party systems. It can be integrated by building ready-made integrations or by funnelling data into other applications via the SchedAero API.