Flight crews, please do turn on your electronic devices

A PARADOX exists in air travel, in my opinion. An airplane is one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced marvels allowing mankind to take flight each day. Yet, a large part of our flight experience remains predominantly paper-based - we are still relying mostly on paper boarding passes, paper luggage tags and paper documentation (though there is a growing use of e-tickets and mobile tickets).

The heavy reliance on paper is not environmentally sustainable, nor sustainable for the business in the long run. For digital transformation to truly take flight, an overhaul of the paper-based and manual processes is needed for a smoother journey.

A clear example is the use of electronic flight bags (EFB) versus traditional paper-based bags. Some airline pilots are still lugging hefty bags filled with charts, manuals, checklists, licences, regulations, and other paraphernalia every time they fly. Putting things in perspective, each paper-based flight bag weighs a hefty 75 kilograms on average - equivalent to an extra passenger on the flight!