Airbus Helicopters Awards Rusada Elite Status as part of Maintenance Information System (MIS) Software Integration Program

Amsterdam, 16 October 2018 – Airbus Helicopters have awarded Rusada elite status for the development of software connectors to connect its MRO system Envision with Airbus systems. This will include the Airbus Skywise data platform.

Rusada are the only provider to be awarded Elite status in recognition of the fact that all connectors are validated by Airbus and operational for the benefit of customers.

“Through this agreement, we’re paving a two-way digital street between Airbus Helicopters and Rusada’s maintenance data within ENVISION nGen for helicopter operators, facilitating the automatic sharing of data and avoiding human-error-prone and time-consuming manual transfers. This capability takes us one step closer to creating a complete digital ecosystem, while simultaneously helping our customers along their own digitalisation journeys,” said Matthieu Louvot, Executive Vice President of Customer Support & Services for Airbus Helicopters.

By partnering with Airbus to create these digital pathways, Rusada are guaranteed easier and faster access to Airbus’ rotorcraft data and technical documentation — especially when a new aircraft is put into operation – which feeds their maintenance information systems and informs a customer’s maintenance planning.

Rusada’s Airbus helicopter operator customers benefit from knowing their maintenance software always contains the most up-to-date information about their aircraft. They can also automatically transfer operational flight data to Airbus applications like Fleetkeeper and FlyScan. And they can become part of Skywise, Airbus’ open data platform first launched with commercial aircraft in 2017 that can store and mine vast quantities of aviation industry data, turning it into actionable intelligence that improves operational performance and business results.

Once maintenance data from across the industry starts entering Skywise, customers could compare their maintenance processes against similar operators and look for patterns and efficiency gains.

“Information related to helicopter components – like part numbers, hours in service, and modifications or overhaul activities performed – is an important data set that helps paint a complete picture of an aircraft or fleet’s history and experiences. As an operator, by using Skywise to benchmark my maintenance activities against others, I might see that similar operators replaced a certain part every 2000 hours, whereas I personally replaced the same part every 1000 hours. This indicates that maybe I am doing something wrong, or that there’s something I could be doing differently to save time and money,” said Stephanie Bonnefoy-Fourie, head of Connected Services at Airbus Helicopters. “We in the helicopter community have so much to learn from each other, but in order to see benefits like this, we need data.”

Today, nearly 550 helicopters are connected to Skywise and Airbus aims to make Skywise the reference for the sharing of data related to all phases of a helicopters’  lifecycle, including design, production, operations and maintenance.