Etihad Airways has received approval from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for the implementation of electronic technical logs (eTech logs) for airline operations.
The implementation on Etihad’s Boeing 777 freighter fleet follows three months of trials in partnership with the GCAA, where eTech logs replaced paper logbooks currently used by flight crew and engineers to document all flight and maintenance information.
Paul Kear, Senior Vice President Technical, Etihad Airways, said: “The digitalisation of our technical logs will go a long way towards enhancing the operational efficiency and airworthiness of our fleet and this is a monumental step forward for aviation in the UAE.”
Steve Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Conduce, the technology provider for the eTech logs said: “We see eTech logs as a ‘disruptive technology’ in the aviation industry bringing significant benefits to airlines and the entire industry. We are excited to be working with Etihad Airways in its implementation, a first in the UAE.”
The eTech logs will contribute to Etihad’s sustainability programme aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and impact of aviation on the environment through driving sustainable practices across its operations. By replacing paper documentation with electronic logs across Etihad’s freighter fleet, an estimated 166 trees will be saved and approximately 6 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions will be reduced per annum.
Following implementation on the freighter fleet, Etihad plans to implement eTech logs on the backbone of its fleet – the Boeing 787 Dreamliners – and the rest of its passenger fleet by 2021.
