According to the US Department of Transportation, 21% of commercial flights in 2019 had delayed arrivals, that’s slightly more than in 2018. What’s more, the number of tarmac delays of three or more hours on domestic flights increased by 100 between 2018-19. How is it possible that airline operations have become less efficient and experience more delays despite advancements in operations management technologies? Outdated legacy systems are often the culprit.
What’s a legacy system? Why are they still being used?
A legacy system is an outdated computing software and/or hardware that is still in use. In the airline industry, legacy systems allow administrators to manage flight, crew and airline operations. While they may at one point have met all the needs of aviation companies, they’re no longer capable of executing every function needed by a modern airline.
Considering that disruptions in airline operations cost around $60 billion per year, why are some airlines still using their outdated and inefficient legacy systems? Buying a new airline operations management system could be a costly endeavor. Some airlines continue to use their legacy system because the expected return on investment of buying a new system might be lower than the cost of disruptions due to the outdated system. While this may have been true in past, eTT Aviation’s Air Operations Suite now provides aviation companies a competitively priced and comprehensive alternative to yesterday’s legacy systems.
Why are legacy systems detrimental to the airline industry?
Maintenance on legacy systems is expensive and will likely cost aviation companies more in the long run. Just as an old car is more likely to break down and need frequent repairs, old software will have more bugs and need constant upkeep. Another reason legacy systems should be ditched is because they often store information in data silos that are incapable of integrating with more modern data collection and business intelligence modules. This means that exporting data from legacy systems can be extremely difficult, even impossible in some cases. Lastly, legacy systems struggle to evolve alongside the industry’s changing regulations and lack the advanced security measures that are essential in today’s digital world.
Why the SkedFlex Air Operations Suite is the best choice to replace an obsolete legacy system
The SkedFlex Air Operations Suite incorporates the flight and crew tracking capabilities of SkedFlex with the accounting, maintenance, inventory management, purchasing, human resources and payroll management capabilities of the Management Information System for Aviation (MISA). In other words, with the Air Operations Suite, airlines can manage all aspects of their operations with one fully integrated system.
The SkedFlex Air Operations Suite is the best alternative to replace an obsolete legacy system whether for a global, regional, charter and cargo airlines, or maintenance and repair organizations (MRO) and flight schools. It’s not uncommon for companies to need multiple legacy systems to accomplish all their day-to-day operations. This is because legacy systems are often only capable of executing a handful of certain operations and are not easily scaled to meet the changing needs of the company. The SkedFlex Air Operations Suite, however, offers a comprehensive suite of modules capable of managing all the operational needs of an airline. Furthermore, it’s fully capable of integrating with other management systems and offers customizable modules so that customers have the greatest amount of control and flexibility over what functions the system performs. Compared to other operations management systems, eTT Aviation’s products are the most affordable, making the Air Operations Suite a smart investment choice for airlines. In addition, eTT Aviation continually ensures we adequately protect the personal information in our care as technologies evolve and as new risks emerge. If your aviation company is ready to ditch the legacy system, let eTT Aviation help you get started.
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Sources and related texts:
http://www.amadeus.com/documents/airline/airline-disruption-management/amadeus-airline-it-disruption-white-paper.pdf
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/air-travel-consumer-report-december-2019-full-year-2019-numbers
https://www.talend.com/resources/what-is-legacy-system/
https://www.ibsplc.com/blog/airline-operations/legacy-systems-why-do-we-still-tolerate-them-in-airline-ops
https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/global-airport-airside-systems-operators-pursue-digitisation-strategies-864646030.html
https://www.manufacturing.net/aerospace/news/13110363/legacy-equipment-complexity-makes-airline-computer-systems-increasingly-vulnerable-to-breakdowns
Author:
Hailey LaJoie
Special Projects Manager
eTT Aviation