Thanks to AST, providing a higher level of aviation safety does NOT necessarily mean higher costs for airlines and airports. Our data can be used to help improve safety while simultaneously providing airport and airline decision-makers with opportunities to lower costs.
Runway excursions are among the most-frequently reported aviation accidents. Safety must always come first. AST augments subjective pilot braking reports and uncalibrated CFME evaluations with real-time data from landing aircraft to accurately measure the braking action and deceleration of every landing. So incoming pilots get recent braking action reports, helping minimize the likelihood of airfield incidents. Meanwhile, AST’s mobile ground sensors help airports precisely measure contamination on surfaces so they can efficiently schedule maintenance to keep those surfaces clear and safe.
Unnecessary and poorly-timed manual/chemical treatments impact operational costs – including labor, materials, and outside vendors. These de-icing and anti-icing treatments can also have environmental impacts. SafeLand’s precise surface reports improve decision-making about when to schedule maintenance and how best to minimize costly chemical treatments. It also offers friction forecasting out to 90 minutes, giving you advance warning of potential surface conditions so you can plan ahead. AST’s forecasts give you a clearer picture of when, where, and how to deploy your next surface maintenance activities to maximize the use of your maintenance dollars while optimizing runway uptime.
From flight planning, to dispatch, to payload and performance decrement decisions, airlines often make overly conservative assumptions on a per-flight basis. AST’s real-time data about surface conditions and available friction helps airlines to minimize these unnecessary costs with smarter, fact-based planning. Our data can also help optimize the set-up (thrust reverse vs. brakes) of individual landings, potentially contributing to overall lower fuel usage and costs.
Airports can close runways at inopportune times, especially when based on subjective observations. This can create substantive impacts on airline schedules, operations, costs (fuel and crew), and passenger satisfaction. AST helps optimize your situational awareness so you can improve maintenance scheduling and increase runway uptime. When runway closures appear imminent, you’ll have the best possible data at your fingertips – including AST’s forecasts – to potentially delay or perhaps shift them to more optimal times.
Everyone understands the unpredictability of Mother Nature. But your airport or airline doesn’t want to become known for weather-related issues. Passengers want to know that factual, knowledge-based decisions are being made in response to shifting weather. If subjective assessments are made that lead to unnecessary delays, passengers can be unforgiving with long memories. AST’s data-based reports on actual surface conditions and braking action can help you avoid runway closures in high-volume periods. This enhances the flier experience, enriching your brand as an expertly-run airfield. Customers feel “seen and valued” as the #1 priority.