Starting a fuel efficiency program is a huge project: from setting up your fuel team to choosing the right fuel efficiency tool to better monitor and measure your fuel results.
You might have launched an RFP process for a fuel efficiency solution and yet starting to think about how to prepare for the future implementation?
Let’s give you some insights from our 30 airlines implementations:
Why using a fuel efficiency solution?
The spike in fuel price, generally airlines' biggest cost, is quickly eroding carriers' profits and jeopardizing their development. Good news is that fuel cost does not just depend on fuel price but also fuel efficiency.
You cannot improve what you cannot measure. That’s why many airlines decide to use a fuel efficiency solution to:
- Better monitor and measure their fuel results and know where they can improve
- Better involve and spread the fuel culture since this is a huge challenge for many airlines
- Better engage pilots since they are the main actors when it comes to fuel efficiency.
Want to learn more about the benefits of using a fuel efficiency tool? Here is a selection of useful resources:
- [ROI Calculator] How much fuel savings can your airline achieve?
- White paper: How to use big data analytics to improve fuel efficiency
What data feeds and integrations will be needed?
For smooth implementation, it is key to anticipate what data feeds and integrations will be needed. You will save precious time!
Generally, you will have to provide:
- An OFP Interface: flight plans given to pilots before the departure;
- An AOC Interface: other data provided by the airline operations center (schedule, ground activity);
- An FDR Interface: typically WQAR or QAR data.
- Optional: Load sheet interface, ACARS interface, fuel price interface.
Ensure that the solution you chose has strong security features as flight data can be sensitive.
Anticipate your data availability
Most of the time, there is one single reason that makes implementation painful: data availability.
To anticipate your data availability, we suggest you consider those 3 points:
- Sign a legal agreement with pilots and unions regarding which elements of the data are shared, and what is confidential. This might be a touchy topic, so make sure to detail how and why this data will be used.
- Make sure to be able to collect all the needed data (or if not, that your fuel efficiency solution provider can help you on this).
- Make sure that in the future you can automate this data collection daily.
What is the typical process?
This depends on your fuel efficiency solution provider. Usually, it takes us 4 months to integrate SkyBreathe®. Here are the different steps of the process:
Figure 1: Example of the implementation process
Who should you involve in the implementation process?
We strongly recommend having an implementation project manager who will be the focal point in airline during the overall project.
We also think that it is important to involve your fuel team and chief pilots in the kick-off meeting, the entry into service and the training since they are key players for a successful fuel efficiency program.
Data experts must be able to send data samples and configure automatic data sending.
Also, your IT expert in authentication must be involved to connect the fuel-management system to your user’s directory.
3 tips from airlines that have been there:
- Anticipate the data availability, especially for FDR data;
- Anticipate availability of the airline team: project manager, data experts, and IT experts;
- Organize a steering committee that makes decisions to overcome difficulties or delays.
To conclude, here are also some feedbacks from our customers:
“Pilot engagement is essential. Clearly communicate which elements of the data are shared, and what is confidential. Understanding any pushback can help reduce barriers.”
- Martin Kordos, Senior Financial Analyst FP&A at Porter Airlines
“The implementation of our fuel efficiency solution has been easy: all we needed to do was to fill the web-based solution with data and set default values for the best practices to adapt them to our goals and recommendations.”
- Marek Andrejs, Performance Engineer at SmartWings
Our fuel experts are here to help if you want to learn more about this topic, simply ask!
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