Opening up a flight business is a huge, costly venture, but it can be worthwhile if done correctly. Numerous things need to be considered and implemented, like hiring personnel, purchasing large grounds for operations, renting planes, advertising, and much much more.
However, this is only scratching the surface. Many other factors need to be accounted for and managed if you’re going to start a new flight business.
Fortunately, programs like the aviation management software exist to help new business owners in managing their work, scheduling flights, managing ground equipments, inventories, and client information among other things to make their jobs easier.
There’s a lot to know about aviation software, so let’s begin. For starters, what exactly is aviation software supposed to be?
What is Aviation Software?
Safety, cooperation, and risk control are essential in the aviation industry. As a result of which, Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) have been developed to improve compliance, security, and risk solutions.
Simply put, aviation software provides operational support and manages airlines, airports, FBOs (Fixed-Base Operators), and other airline service providers. Aviation software encompasses a wide range of features including sales automation, airport staff management, and maintenance.
Aside from all-in-one solutions, aviation software can also be designed for specific aspects which focus on one element alone, such as work fleet management, or service/ticket sales.
Aviation software is commonly used by airlines, airports, and various airport service providers but it can also be incredibly useful for independent and private companies that have a large number of aircraft vehicles. It’s designed to enhance an organization’s efficiency and improve the management of its crew and fleet.
Features of Aviation Management Software
Load Management
Being the owner of a flight business, there are a lot of cargo services that need to be arranged and kept in check so they get to their respected places on time.
Cargo management is an absolute must-have feature for any aviation software. It can help you organize your loads and prevent common mistakes and inconveniences.
Crew Management
Your crew is the members of your company that directly interact with customers, so it’s essential for them to have organized schedules. This is so they won’t feel overwhelmed or overworked and can do their work properly.
Recovery Procedure
If you’re managing an airplane in the sky, there are a lot more precautions that it requires compared to any other mode of transport. You need to follow many safety services to keep it in good condition. This also includes maintaining its black box to measure accurate safety reports.
These are some of the basic features you should consider when looking for aviation software. Other minor features include:
- Management of aircraft operations
- Maintenance planning
- Revenue analysis
- On-board catering
Best Practices for Aircraft Management
Conduct Regular Inspections
There are tons of unique requirements for any particular plane and it is the maintenance team’s job to maintain and optimize each aircraft’s inspection schedule. The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) have defined inspection requirements that are applicable to all general aviation aircraft. These will need to be upheld stringently, and you’ll also need to ensure that the equipment you’re using to carry out the inspections is of satisfactory quality. For example, an aircraft towbar will be used to move the plane to an area of inspection for the maintenance to be performed. If the existing towbars aren’t up to standard, they’ll need to be replaced immediately from a trusted supplier.
In situations where an older aircraft is still active, the federal inspection and maintenance requirements might not be enough. In that case, paying special attention to it with thorough inspections and keeping track of its conditions would be ideal.
Standardize Data by Simplifying it
Lack of standardization in data is a huge problem in most aviation SMS. Standardizing data is a critical task, which if not done properly can open up a ton of issues later on. Problems that typically arise include:
- Data is difficult to manage.
- Analyzing data trends may be unreliable or ineffective if data is wrongfully classified.
Acquire Good Data Collection Tools
Another critical step to effectively manage data is by using data acquisition tools. The three major data acquisition tools include:
- Multiplicity: Giving multiple options to employees and the general public for reporting safety issues. This can be through email, official website, apps, cell phone number, or offline reporting.
- Availability: Appropriate safety reporting tools need to be made readily available for anyone, regardless of whether they have an internet connection or not.
- Usability: The safety reporting tools need to be efficient and easy to use for employees.
Benefits of Aviation Software and Technology
Auto Tracking and Scheduling
You’ll need some sort of system in place to keep track of all the flights coming in and going out of the airport. Finding the right software can be a challenge but making sure it covers every aspect of your operations is vital.
Disorder in flight schedules can lead to countless problems and inconveniences which become worse as it keeps going. To ensure your business runs smoothly and your crew works diligently, you need good tracking software. Most company-personalized aviation software is ideal for exactly that.
Customized Programming
No matter which industry you work in, having customized and personally programmed software that suits every need of your business can not only streamline your operations but can also accelerate them and ensure you have everything you need.
Online managing programs can be easily equipped to handle the individual needs of any company. Not having your own customized software will certainly put you behind your schedules and other competitors that utilize such programs.
Increased Productivity
Ideally, if you wish to be a successful company, having a good reputation and being known for following through with your business promises can put you on the good side of your consumers. And the best way to handle operations work more productively is to get things done with the right amount of time. This can efficiently be done with the help of good software on hand.
User-Friendly Interface
Most aviation software is made with the intent of an easy and smooth-running interface that makes it simple to maintain records, schedule plane intervals, set maintenance schedules, manage employee payrolls, track flights, and share operational reports.
Elements of the software, including spreadsheets and documents, are designed to make it easy to input data and set new features for anyone using the program.
