The Online Help Center is now LIVE

We are happy to share this news with you. From today you can access and use our new platform for our online Help Center.

The New Platform includes:

• 300+ updated articles for troubleshooting and best workflow practices
• FAQ with questions and answers that are frequently raised 
• Easy-to-follow guides
• Educational and step-by-step video tutorials
• “Feedback and Comments” option for you
• Improved IT security and update functionalities
• Accessibility 24-7-365

Aircraft operations are costly – but can be profitable if managed properly

For aircraft operators to ensure continuous strong market positions and profitable businesses, a variety of cost parameters must be constantly analyzed and optimized. Obvious areas for optimization include aircraft maintenance, fuel, and crew.

But many aircraft operators seem to give a lower priority to the importance of cost-effective flight planning. Imagine being able to lower production costs already from the flight planning stage by enabling OCC to take cost-effective decisions. This is only possible if cost information is available and presented in way that allow dispatchers to compare numbers and analyze data.

Exploit cost-effective route planning features

The PPS Flight Planning System (PPS) is not only one of the most price-competitive software solutions of its kind in the market today, but also one of the most cost-effective. Even in a basic setup, PPS provides any aircraft operator with very relevant route-specific cost awareness data in real time. The various route costs in play for each flight include:

• Aircraft cost
  Dry operating cost (DOC) of the aircraft per hour. Typically, this would be the cost of operating an aircraft including maintenance, crew etc.
• Fuel cost
  The cost of fuel for the flight based on fuel burn for the actual route and actual fuel price. A dynamic cost parameter which changes depending on weather conditions.
• Overflight cost
  The costs involved when transiting airspaces. PPS provides advanced overflight cost calculations based on entry/exit-points and flying time within FIR’s.
• Total cost
  To many users the most relevant cost parameter as is sums up all the above costs. Often used as the comparative cost parameter, letting the user choose the route with the lowest overall cost

Other important source data used in calculations include aircraft weight and fuel profile configurations, forecasted enroute winds and temperatures, global route restrictions and more.

The route comparison feature in PPS helps the aircraft operator to save money and increase profits by selecting the minimum production cost routing for every flight.

Let us look at an example of selecting routes based on lowest cost:

Route comparison: Oslo Gardermoen (ENGM) to Tenerife South (GCTS)

Route analysis in PPS Route Comparison Tool

At first, the route on direct track seems to be the obvious choice because of lowest fuel burn. But total cost results suggest that the route west of track via Tango airways is more economical to fly with a saving of $ 416. Why? Because the savings in overflight cost by crossing cheaper FIR’s are significant and clearly justifies the higher fuel burn! Any cost saving becomes significant when adding multiple flights per day!

TOTAL COST SAVINGS = $ 416  by selecting route west of track via Tango airways.

Automated route optimization

By purchasing the AutoDispatch add-on, aircraft operators can also reap the benefits of letting PPS automatically choose the most economical route. Such a PPS setup not only lowers the production costs associated with the flight itself, but also those related to the preflight planning phase. This will further decrease operational costs for the aircraft operator and help strengthening market position.

Fair pricing and greatest ROI

Saving money on routes is essential business – but does not make sense if savings are exchanged for expensive software subscriptions! Despite its very beneficial cost-optimization features which we’ve covered here, PPS still delivers one of the best ROIs on the market today if compared to flight planning systems with similar complexity.

Want the greatest ROI? Choose PPS.

Introducing PPS X: The Next Generation of Flight Planning Software

AIR SUPPORT is proud to announce the release of PPS X, the latest version of our PPS Flight Planning software. PPS X introduces new features and improvements designed to enhance speed, usability, and functionality. The major improvements of PPS X include:

• A more responsive user interface with faster calculations
• Enhanced map functionality with clearer displays of airspace and FIR borders
• Greater customizability in the main interface, supporting multi-screen setups

If you want to learn more about the new improvements, they are all elaborated below.

Improved Speed

With PPS X, we have improved the responsiveness significantly. This enhancement ensures that flight planning processes are more efficient, reducing wait times and enabling quicker decision-making.

Scalability and Multi-Screen Support

PPS X introduces greater scalability, allowing users to customize their workspace across multiple screens. This means you can detach various elements of the PPS software and arrange them on different monitors, facilitating easier editing of maps, checking flight logs, and managing other tasks. The software now supports 4K and 8K screens, making it ideal for large operations where multiple monitors are common. This level of customization significantly enhances the user experience, providing greater flexibility and efficiency in flight planning.

Improved Maps and Navigation

The map functionality in PPS X  displays a comprehensive update compared to previous versions. Users can now see danger and caution areas clearly marked, along with their names. FIR borders are more distinct, and the clarity improves when zooming in and out, making it easier to navigate and avoid restricted areas.

PPS X Includes OpsControl® Weather Watch Access

All operators using PPS X can enjoy free access to OpsControl Airport Weather Watch, which allows them to monitor the weather for all airports included in their flight plans. User-defined exception alerting, including OpsControl, also gives you optional access to the following:

• Notam Watch – Allowing dispatchers and OCC’s to easy handle NOTAMs
• Flight Watch – Live tracking, monitoring actual flight live vs flight plan incl. route deviation alerting
• Postflight database with access to all monitored parameters and export availability

Experience the Next Level of Flight Planning

With the introduction of PPS X, which is a new foundation for significant developments of tomorrow, AIR SUPPORT continues to set the standard in flight planning software. The improved speed, scalability, and map functionality make PPS X a powerful tool for aviation professionals today and for many years onwards. We invite you to explore these new features and see how PPS X can streamline your flight planning operations.

Do you want to learn more about PPS Flight Planning, click here >> PPS Flight Planning <<

>> Only available for clients/customers with a legal software licence agreement with AIR SUPPORT <<

If you have any questions or problems signing up please contact our support team call +45 7060 5530 or email support@airsupport.dk

(Please mention website subscription to Service Messages)

Dynamic weather overview at associated aerodromes 
The OpsControl | WeatherWatch feature is a valuable tool for aviation operations, providing weather information for flight monitoring purposes and displaying weather status based on real-time TAF and METAR for departure, destination, and alternate airports.

WeatherWatch
OpsControl | WeatherWatch is a detailed overview of your flights and the current weather status at the associated aerodromes.

Dispatchers can rapidly identify if the weather is above, below, or at the operation’s thresholds in the flight list and take necessary actions to reduce the risk of flight disruptions due to critical weather.