A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

The commercial aviation industry is on the cusp of a wave of technology investment fueled by advances in high-speed, in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity, with about half in the industry planning to spend up to $1 million per aircraft, according to a recent survey from Honeywell Aerospace.

 


Connected technologies use data sent to and from aircraft to benefit passengers, pilots, and operators, according to industry definitions, with examples including apps that track fleet fuel usage; crowdsourced weather information; and analytics of data gathered from “smart” sensors. Indeed, while airlines are investing heavily in providing onboard Wi-Fi to passengers, the Honeywell Connected Aircraft Report, released last month, finds that most of the coming investment wave will be focused “beyond the cabin,” with maintenance applications aimed at lowering operational costs as the top driver for the spending.

 


“Our research revealed nearly 60 percent of airlines are looking to purchase predictive maintenance technologies over the next year, and even more and expected to invest down the road,” said Kristin Slyker, v-p of connected aircraft at Honeywell Aerospace.

 


Based on a survey of fleet management personnel, flight and ground crews, maintenance personnel and other key stakeholders, the report states that 86 percent of respondents expected to make connected aircraft investments within the next year, and 95 percent planning such investments within five years. Most plan to invest $100,000 to $500,000 or more per aircraft over the next five years, with about half intending to spend up to $1 million per airframe.

 


With fuel accounting for 20 to 40 percent of an airline’s operating costs, fuel burn reduction is the number-two driver of connected aircraft investments, behind only preventive and predictive maintenance afforded by a connected aircraft. A third factor driving the intent to spend is a desire to control aircraft turnaround time, to keep pushbacks on schedule and improve the customer experience.

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