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Thursday, August 18, 2011

British Airways Crews Begin Using iPads


The Telegraph: British Airways is using iPads instead of the traditional paper list of passengers which has been compulsory on every flight since the start of commercial aviation. The Apple device is not only replacing a document known as the manifest, but also contains timetables, safety information and even detailed profiles of everyone on board.

It is the latest example of the industry trying to get away from the use of cardboard and paper and follows such initiatives as allowing passengers to download their boarding pass onto their mobile phones.
BA is currently testing 100 iPads and, assuming the trial works, intends to hand them to 1,800 senior crew members.

The iPads will contain a wealth of information, from seating plans to passengers’ meal preferences, previous flights and whether or not they are members of BA’s frequent flyer program.

Crucially they will also enable the crew to know which passengers have connecting flights, enabling them to make alternative arrangements should there be any delay.

In most cases the information will be gathered before the plane takes off. However on flights where there is an internet connection, such as BA’s London City to New York JFK service, cabin crew will be able to send emails to the airline’s staff on the ground to make sure they can deal with issues swiftly on arrival.

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