CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Flight Options, LLC, the second-largest company in the private jet travel industry, today announced that it is the first in the industry to receive authorization by the FAA to utilize Apple® iPads as a Class 1 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) device. Authorized late 2011, the Flight Options’ Legacy 600® fleet leverages the iPad to allow its flight crews to address a variety of functions that were historically accomplished with paper references. The company’s pilots are now able to perform both basic and advanced EFB activities through iPads assigned to and available in the cockpit.
Basic EFB features provide the ability to conduct flight planning calculations and access digital documentation displays such as navigational charts, operation manuals and applications and aircraft checklists. Advanced EFB features allow pilots to locate aircraft positions on navigational charts (en route and approach) and access real-time weather conditions and in-house aircraft performance. Authorization by the FAA on leveraging iPads as EFBs for the remaining Flight Options’ fleet is expected in early 2012.
Working closely with the FAA, and in compliance with its guidelines, Flight Options developed training programs and operational procedures to utilize and deploy iPads as EFBs. This has resulted in the following industry firsts for Flight Options:
- First Fractional Operator with Class 1 iPad EFB authorization
- First Part 135 Air Carrier to create, deploy and receive authorization for its own iPad aircraft performance application
- First Part 135 Air Carrier with paperless enroute chart authorization
- First Part 135 Air Carrier to utilize Wi-Fi in the cockpit for time critical updates, including real-time weather
- First Part 135 Air Carrier to deploy iPads using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system to meet FAA EFB guidance on configuration, control and security
“While certain aspects of EFBs have been around in some way, shape or form for several years, the iPad has revolutionized how people consume data,” said David Davies, CIO, Flight Options. “As a result, the iPad has inherently become an effective, innovative and cost-effective way to enhance flight operations and service offerings. We evaluated our mobile enterprise requirements. We ultimately selected AirWatch because it is the only MDM and mobile app solution that offers secure, flexible deployment options, competitive pricing and advanced security features.”
AirWatch sets the industry benchmark for competitive and transparent published pricing along with the most secure and functionally robust MDM and mobile application management (MAM) platform. AirWatch’s highly regarded functionality and deep domain expertise coupled with the solution’s value pricing, results in the company being one of the most highly rated MDM vendors by leading industry-analyst firms.
“Apple iPads have transformed flying and electronic flight bags,” said John Marshall, CEO, AirWatch. “iPads used in the cockpit help ensure that pilots not only have critical, real-time information at their fingertips throughout the flight, but also leverage enhanced security, encryption and mobile management capabilities to quickly and efficiently perform key activities in-flight. Flight Options deployment and secure management of iPads as EFBs is a game-changer for the company and the industry as a whole.”
Flight Options is developing additional iPad functionality for the future, including applications for status checks on aircraft maintenance and passenger identification.
About Flight Options
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Flight Options, LLC is the second-largest private aviation company in the United States, providing more than 1,300 owners and clients with a full suite of fractional ownership, membership and 25-hour card programs. The company’s fleet consists of more than 100 aircrafts, including the Hawker 400XP, Nextant 400XT, Embraer Phenom 300®, Hawker 800XP, Citation X and Embraer Legacy 600, flying clients to most of North America, the Caribbean or Europe with as little as eight hours’ notice. With five FAA Diamond Award-winning maintenance centers in Las Vegas, Teterboro, West Palm Beach, Sacramento and Cleveland, Flight Options was the first fractional jet operator to receive the ARG/US Platinum Safety Rating and is the only provider to have received the rating five consecutive times. More information is available at www.flightoptions.com or by calling 877.703.2348. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or download the Flight Options iPhone Application.
About AirWatch
AirWatch is the global leader and innovator of enterprise-grade smartphone security and mobile device management solutions. Positioned in the Leaders quadrant of Gartner, Inc.’s Magic Quadrant for Mobile Device Management Software 2011, AirWatch helps to deploy, secure, track and manage an enterprise’s entire fleet of Android, Apple’s iOS, BlackBerry, Windows and Symbian devices. In October 2011, Info-Tech Research Group listed AirWatch as a “Champion” in the firm’s Mobile Device Management Vendor Landscape and also listed it as the “best bang for your buck” through its Value Score, which indexes each product offering and business strength relative to their price point.
AirWatch offers the industry’s most scalable and flexible deployment options with Software as a Service (SaaS), appliance or on premise solutions. SaaS pricing starts at a $3 per month subscription per device. Appliance pricing starts at a one-time fee of $6,500 for the hardware and includes a one-year warranty. On premise pricing starts at a one-time fee of $40 per device.
An award-winning company, AirWatch recently won several categories in the 2011 Mobile Star Awards. AirWatch has more than 1,700 customers in the retail, financial services, healthcare, government, distribution, education, hospitality, manufacturing, telecommunications and transportation industries. For more information, visit www.air-watch.com.
© 2012 Flight Options LLC. All rights reserved. Flight Options® and the Flight Options logo are registered trademarks of Flight Options, LLC. Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc. All other brands and trademarks mentioned in this press release are the property of their respective owners.