PACE 

AFI KLM E&M and PACE deliver onboard performance tool to French AWACS squadron

MRO company Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance and engineering software provider PACE have successfully completed the development and implementation of a custom flight performance tool for the French Air Force. The software will automate mission planning and performance calculation tasks for the four-strong fleet of E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

After initial training at the PACE offices in Berlin and the squadron’s main operating base in Avord, AWACS crews are now set to apply the software under full operational conditions. Installed on notebooks and tablet PCs, it will support ground-based flight preparations as well as in-flight rerouting and rescheduling. Long-term benefits are expected from reduced-thrust takeoffs, which help to extend engine life and reduce maintenance costs.

The software is the product of a close cooperation between PACE, the AWACS team and main contractor AFI KLM E&M, who is managing the maintenance of the French AWACS fleet. “We are very pleased with the execution and outcome of the project; it’s a great testament to the professional attitude and exceptional commitment of everybody involved,” says the head of the test and experiment team at Avord Air Force Base. ”Our first benchmarks against legacy tools and our manual procedures indicate a significant performance gain."

“Collaboration with PACE was very efficient, and the finished product certainly sets new standards for an onboard performance software,” explains Claude Bellier, General Manager AWACS Product at AFI KLM E&M. “The project has been a perfect fit with our AWACS efficiency improvement strategy, and we will explore how similar benefits can be achieved for the French Air Force’s transport fleets.”
 

About Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance

Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance, which joined forces following the Air France KLM merger, are world-leading multi-product MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) providers with a joint workforce of over 14,000, offering comprehensive technical support for airlines, ranging from engineering and line maintenance to engine overhaul, as well as the management, repair and supply of aircraft components, structured around a powerful logistics network. AFI KLM E&M supports more than 1,230 aircraft operated by 150 major international airlines.
More information about AFI KLM E&M is available at www.afiklmem.com.

About PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology GmbH

PACE, with offices in Germany, France and the US, develops and distributes engineering software solutions for aircraft and engine manufacturers, civil and military operators, maintenance services and leasing companies. A wide-range of turn-key and custom solutions helps to optimize key aspects of customers’ business processes, from marketing and design to customization and operations.
Customers include Airbus, Air France Industries, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Emirates, ESG, Etihad, Eurocopter, Lufthansa CityLine, MDA, Rolls-Royce, Snecma, Sukhoi and Volkswagen.
More information about PACE is available at www.pacelab.com.

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