eWAS Real-time weather solution certified for use on Inmarsat SB-S

EFB Weather Awareness Solution ‘eWAS’ is the latest application certified by INMARSAT for use across its next-generation SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) communications platform for the flight deck. Following certification under the ‘Inmarsat Aviation Certified Application Provider’ (CAP) Programme, airlines can now receive the latest weather information during flights using real-time SB-S datalink connectivity. “More than 30,000 pilots are already using the eWAS products. By connecting the eWAS application over SB-S’ dedicated IP platform for the cockpit, pilots will experience the added benefits of real-time updates inflight. The pilot weather solution offers up-to-date views of severe weather that can rapidly appear, shift location, and grow in intensity, which can then enable a smoother, more efficient inflight experience for passengers and crew – and avoid related cost implications that were once deemed unavoidable. Even avoiding a single weather event brings an immediate return on investment to an airline. According to the recent study published by the London School of Economics, optimizing flight routes in real time, through IP-enabled communications that provide better weather information to the cockpit, yields an estimated 1% fuel reduction per flight. This equates to 3.39 billion liters of fuel, 8.3 million tons of CO2 and $1.3 billion in fuel savings annually, based on current fuel costs. Inmarsat’s SB-S service entered commercial service in April this year, giving airlines worldwide unparalleled, secure visibility into their operations. Utilizing market-leading aviation applications, SB-S can improve delay management and scheduling, maintenance capability, fleet and flight crew management, efficiency and predictability, and can reduce aircraft turnaround time.