A unique collaboration between TrustFlight, Boeing, RaceRocks and The University of British Columbia (UBC) has plans to transform the aviation industry, creating a new digital aircraft records platform aimed at significantly improving efficiency and potentially saving the sector up to US$3.5 billion (£2.6 billion) a year.
The Digital Aviation Record System (DARS) will be developed in Canada, having received investment and support from the Canadian Digital Technology Supercluster – an initiative that helps to establish a framework for collaboration and co-investment on projects across all sectors.
The long-term aim of the project is to create the world’s first truly global, web-based component and airworthiness records platform connecting data across the supply chain. Working closely with existing industry maintenance and MRO system providers, DARS will enhance its functionality by enabling seamless transfer of accurate aircraft information, removing the need for manual data entry and delivering significant efficiency improvements. The first DARS service to be offered will be a digital engine log, available in early 2022.
Karl Steeves, CEO at TrustFlight, says: “Most systems that manage and record aircraft maintenance are either paper based or operator-specific software solutions that are often unable to communicate with one another, meaning data has to be input and transferred manually. We knew there was a better way to work, concluding that a consolidated digital platform like DARS could improve airline maintenance productivity and efficiency by up to 25%, potentially saving the industry US$3.5 billion a year.”