Emirates, a global aviation leader, has embraced a data-driven approach to flight operations, equipping its pilots with a powerful analytics tool called GE FlightPulse. Every day, all 470 Emirates flights utilize this innovative application, which provides critical data for enhancing safety and optimizing fuel efficiency.
FlightPulse provides pilots with comprehensive summaries of their flights, including detailed performance assessments against key efficiency and safety benchmarks. This empowers pilots to meticulously analyze their flight handling, enabling them to adopt data-driven strategies for future flights. Emirates worked closely with GE to tailor the FlightPulse dashboard to meet its unique operational needs and averages, ensuring both pilots and management have access to customized key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytical tools.
Beyond real-time data, FlightPulse also offers detailed, customizable flight replays, allowing pilots to simulate the actual flight path and cockpit experience. This feature provides valuable insights into past flights, enabling pilots to identify areas for improvement and optimize future operations.
Since its launch in 2021, the FlightPulse initiative has expanded under the partnership between Emirates and GE, covering four essential areas: fuel efficiency, safety, operational analytics, and route-specific research and insights. While other airlines utilize FlightPulse, Emirates stands out by adopting it across its entire pilot base of over 4,000, providing them with a unique repository of airline-specific and historical data. This intuitive platform facilitates pilot-to-pilot comparison, enabling them to benchmark their performance against fleet-wide standards and gain valuable operational insights for future flights.
The successful implementation of FlightPulse has been highly praised by Emirates executives. Captain Hassan Al Hammadi, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Flight Operations, highlights the transformative impact of the tool: “FlightPulse has helped put data in the hands of our pilots and flight operations teams, making them more connected than ever to enhance operational, safety and fuel efficiency. It not only gives them a retrospective view to reflect on how they can improve, but also equips them when making future operational decisions.” He further emphasizes the significant improvements in fuel efficiency and other operational and safety KPIs, signifying the effectiveness of the technology.
The positive impact of FlightPulse is also evident in the experiences of individual pilots. Captain Esmaeel Hassan Fard, a Type Rating Instructor on the B777, shares his routine use of the tool: “When preparing for a flight, I use FlightPulse to review data from my previous flights, focusing on key elements like safety and fuel efficiency. Then, I analyze the specific route and conditions for the upcoming flight using the insights and historical data available for the specific city pairing. This helps me make decisions about fuel management, operational procedures, and any adjustments needed for optimal safety and efficiency during the flight.” By comparing his performance against fleet-wide standards, Captain Fard demonstrates the motivation FlightPulse provides for continuous improvement.
Capt Abdalla Al Hammadi, Fleet Technical Pilot, A380, shares his perspective on how FlightPulse has enhanced his personal flight metrics: “FlightPulse presents us with performance statistics and data on any of our past flights, allowing us to uncover new areas to optimize operations and efficiency. A new feature was added recently called pre-flight, which allows me to check data for the past 90 days for a particular sector or airport that I will be flying to. Which runway can I expect? Do I expect any holding? This is valuable information that supports my preparation and provides me with the appropriate visibility to adjust my techniques, and ultimately helps me make better decisions when it comes to safety and efficiency.”
Emirates has also embraced a digital transformation in its flight deck, adopting Lido Systems’ mBriefing on pilots’ iPads. This paperless environment consolidates all necessary flight information, integrating real-time weather conditions for enhanced in-flight decision-making. This digital shift is expected to save approximately 15 million sheets of paper annually, reflecting a significant reduction in Emirates’ paper usage.
By implementing GE FlightPulse and embracing digital transformation, Emirates has demonstrated its commitment to data-driven innovation, enhancing both safety and operational efficiency. The airline’s adoption of these technologies positions them as a leader in the aviation industry, setting a new standard for data-driven flight operations.
