Emirates and Boeing have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage “advanced digital technologies and accelerate improvements in maintenance operations”.
The two companies disclosed that efforts will focus on key areas including: drone assisted aircraft inspections, sharpening the precision and effectiveness of maintenance tasks through use of virtual and augmented reality, in addition to next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance.
“Our partnership with Boeing will enable us to maximize the benefits of advanced technologies and digital excellence to improve operational reliability, minimize disruptions and ensure our fleet operates at the highest standards, ultimately providing our customers a better travel experience,” said Ahmed Safa, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Engineering. “Whether its drones conducting inspections with meticulous agility or AR visualisations that help engineers see behind panels or inside ducts to locate potentially defective components not visible to the naked eye, without having to dismantle them, we’re taking significant steps to optimize aircraft maintenance to its full potential on our fleet of Boeing 777s.”
“Supporting our customers on their digital transformation journey is about more than just enhancing maintenance operations,” Brad Surak, Vice President of Digital Aviation Solutions, Boeing Global Services said. “It's about applying innovation to ensure their needs for optimum operations are met today and long term.”
The integration of drone technology for maintenance tasks helps to speed up exterior inspections on wide-body aircraft utilizing ultra-high resolution cameras with the capability to reach every angle of the aircraft to detect surface imperfections. The imagery and data collected becomes the basis of highly detailed reports, allowing greater precision and helping with audits of future inspections.
Mixed Reality and the use of augmented reality and virtual reality visual tools means engineers can investigate the innermost workings of any part of an aircraft and other intricacies.
Next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance technology provided by Boeing, the company says, leverages advanced analytics and prognostic insights, enabling Emirates to make more informed fleet maintenance decisions.