Connecting aircraft data is perhaps the easiest and fastest of the paths to sustainability in the airline industry, Boeing Global Services and Raytheon Technologies subsidiary Collins Aerospace each said this week at the 2023 Paris Airshow. But a patchwork of national government regulations, pilot union rules, and passenger data privacy concerns stand in the way of its full potential for saving fuel, lowering emissions, and reducing costs.
While optimizing flight paths using data presents no such concerns, squeezing more efficiencies from monitoring how pilots fly the airplane could be fraught with red tape. For example, monitoring individual pilot habits regarding landing speed and brake pedal application could reduce brake wear. Extended brake life means longer intervals for brake disc changes, lowering maintenance costs and subsequently lowering CO2 emissions with a reduction in the need for replacement parts. But pilot unions will likely block the use of data in such a manner.
More In Sustainability and Environment
