Icelandair to equip flight crews with PACE fuel efficiency software

Carrier expects significant cost savings from en-route flight profile optimization
BERLIN/SEATTLE, 6 October 2016 – Iceland’s flagship carrier Icelandair will equip flight crews with fuel efficiency software Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer. The electronic flight bag (EFB) application by Berlin-based software provider PACE enables pilots to optimize flight speeds and altitudes along the route to reduce fuel burn and overall trip cost.

Icelandair’s present route network connects 27 European with 16 North American cities. “Long-haul flights are particularly prone to unplanned flight conditions, which compromise operational efficiency,” explains Hilmar B. Baldursson, VP Flight Operations at Icelandair. “In such situations, Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer will help our pilots assess their options and choose the most economical way of completing the flight.”

Reading real-time weather and operational information from the aircraft data buses, the software makes good use of the fully connected tablet EFBs installed on Icelandair’s 32 strong fleet of Boeing B757 and B767 aircraft. Delivering significantly more accurate results than conventional onboard technology, Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer can save a few hundred kilos of fuel per flight. So with more than 100 daily departures during the summer season, Icelandair could be looking at very substantial savings.

Oliver Kranz, PACE managing partner and head of airline business is confident the software will live up to expectations: “Onboard flight profile optimization has tremendous potential for increasing operational efficiency if used consistently – something that is greatly encouraged by Icelandair’s known commitment to sustainable practices and optimized use of resources.”

Image Copyright holder: Icelandair