Jetstar soars towards paperless cockpit with new Zensar iPad app : Pune, India

Jetstar and Zensar Technologies Australia have developed an innovative iPad Application that allows pilots to quickly and accurately calculate aircraft weight and balance before take-off. Jetload is used on-board Jetstar’s A320s and is the first of its kind to be deployed in an Australian flight deck. Jetstar Chief Pilot Mark Rindfleish said the launch of the app was an exciting step in the airline’s journey toward a paperless flight deck using tablet computing. “At Jetstar we’re always looking to harness new technology to improve the way we do things,” Captain Rindfleish said. Before Jetload was introduced, Jetstar pilots used handheld personal digital assistant computers requiring on-board printing and a complex software update process. Jetload is synchronised using a WIFI connection meaning documentation can now be sent through electronically in a more streamlined process for pilots. Jetstar’s iPad rollout began last year and the low fares airline has worked through the necessary steps with CASA to safely remove about 20kg worth of paper manuals from the flight deck. Captain Rindfleish said the fuel savings from the reduction of paper manuals in flight decks is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. “Fuel is by far our largest expense so anything we can do to safely reduce fuel burn is great for customers as it helps us to offer the lowest fares,” Captain Rindfleish said. Vice Chairman and CEO Zensar Technologies Ganesh Natarajan said the company always endeavours to create and nurture long term value driven partnerships. “We’ve worked with Jetstar for five years now and we’re proud of this latest project”, Dr Natarajan said. Zensar Chief Executive and Head of Enterprise Transformation Services Nitin Parab added that the successful introduction of the Jetload app was proof of their capability to deliver mission critical applications. “Apart from Jetload, Zensar provides Rocade crewing and operations system support, Flight Information Display Systems, Flight Dispatch Systems, 24/7/365 IT service desk, database administration and IT Finance Management services to the LCC’s operations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Manila, Japan and the soon to be launched Hong Kong operations.” Additionally, Zensar also delivers enterprise application development services, CRM support and maintenance services to Jetstar. The company offers IT services for Low Cost Carriers including 24x7 global application support and maintenance, CRM, mobility etc. across critical functions like flight operations, reservations, crew management and airport ground operations.