Flexjet has added GE Digital's Maintenance Insight to the software solutions it deploys to process flight data. Flexjet is the first in its space to deploy this solution across its fleet to help predict and prevent disruptions and reduce maintenance costs.

Maintenance Insight provides airlines with analytics that help monitor component health to optimise performance and decrease inefficiencies that lead to excess fuel burn and carbon emissions. Operators can avoid maintenance disruptions to keep their existing fleet running efficiently and reduce their carbon footprint.

Maintenance Insight is designed to extract the full-flight data from the plane's sensors after a flight. Once the solution is onboarded, airlines or, as is the case with Flexjet, a private jet provider can proactively pinpoint their top reliability challenges, helping drive insight and decisions. The system generates new data with each flight, staying ahead of potential issues before they would typically be caught during routine maintenance. This data also enables airlines to reroute planes, if necessary, to ensure they can be serviced at maintenance hubs thus avoiding out-station events.

“Implementation of the GE wireless flight data transmission across the Flexjet fleet in 2019 was so successful we were enthusiastic about the Maintenance Insight,” says Charles Starkowsky Flexjet chief safety officer. “This powerful capability will lead to superior aircraft safety, reliability and efficiency.”

Added Sal Valentino, Flexjet's vice president of maintenance, operations and strategy adds: “The addition of Maintenance Insight to our robust flight data programme allows us to enhance our proactive maintenance processes by analysing real-time data regarding the status of aircraft systems on-board every Flexjet aircraft.”

Maintenance Insight includes a set of applications designed to deliver clear visibility into fleet health for early detection of aircraft and component degradation. Powerful analytics and insights help decrease unplanned maintenance burden and downtime. Downstream these reductions benefit airlines by avoiding costly operational disruptions and supporting corrective action decision making, improving maintenance effectiveness and reducing out-station events.

“Because Flexjet maintains its own aircraft, Maintenance Insight gives it a powerful advantage of proactive insights allowing it to predict and prevent disruptions and reduce maintenance costs,” explains Andrew Coleman, general manager of GE Digital's Aviation Software business. “Our software uses a wealth of data generated by each aircraft to build analytics that provide advance awareness of potential component failure and unplanned maintenance, helping to prevent unnecessary time on the ground while also raising the efficiency of the maintenance efforts.”

“We began using GE wireless flight data transmission across the Flexjet fleet in 2019 and are pleased to become the first to adopt this new maintenance innovation as well,” says Megan Wolf, Flexjet's chief operating officer. “Flexjet owns, operates and maintains our own aircraft, and Maintenance Insight's powerful analytics will give our award-winning maintenance team even more tools to keep our aircraft in top shape.

“With the ability to also optimise performance and decrease fuel inefficiencies, this software will help us to maintain our industry leadership in this critical field, improving aircraft reliability and efficiency, protecting the natural environment, and controlling operating and maintenance costs."