Innovation Management System
Innovation has been, since we began operating, one of our company’s main objectives and is, without a doubt, amongst the values responsible for turning our company into one of the world’s best regional aviation companies. In 2008, we decided to organise the innovation projects we had already developed as part of our company strategy policy. It soon became clear to us that if our company was to achieve its objectives, we would do well to create an innovation management system.
The result was the present-day Air Nostrum Innovation Management System, a system used by our company’s senior management to define the core ideas of innovation in alignment with our company strategy.
Numerous ideas have been generated as a result of the implantation of this management system and the creative techniques used by our company work teams, the majority based on the core strategies previously defined by our company management.
The ideas generated are held up for evaluation and used as a way of defining and selecting company development projects.
Air Nostrum Innovation Projects (I+D+i)
At present, we have approximately ten staff members working on I+D+i projects with another 50 technicians and other professionals contributing with their knowledge and experience in part on the development and implementation of company projects.
Encouraged by the successful incorporation of new technologies and technologically-advanced aircraft, our company continues to promote technology through a number of Investigation, Development and Innovation (I+D+i) projects as follows:-
ANEM (Air Nostrum Engineering & Maintenance Operations S.L.) has launched the project "Development of a predictive model for maintenance and incident prevention in airplanes". Its main objective is the reduction of flight delays and cancellations caused by technical incidents. This reduction would lead to a relief in emission volumes, as well as an improvement in passenger satisfaction.
This innovative project that promises to revolutionize our operations has been possible thanks to the valuable financial support of the European Union, through the entity Red.ES.
The main body of the initiative focuses on analyzing the life of the components that lead to AOG situations (Aircraft on Ground), based on historical data and applying different analysis techniques using artificial intelligence.
As a final result of the project, a control panel allows users involved in the study of reliability and AOG prevention to visualize and understand data intuitively, perform real-time analysis, and make informed decisions.
The tool is in the process of integration for use in the company's daily operations. Once this phase is completed, we trust that we will observe an optimization of our maintenance processes and a reduction in technical incidents.
This project reflects ANEM's commitment to operational excellence, and we recognize and appreciate once again the support of the European Union in this process. We are excited about the results we expect to achieve in the near future and will continue working to achieve better standards of efficiency and quality in ANEM's activity
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Project description:-
One of the main problems facing airlines today is the satisfactory management of its resources, the type of management that allows service offer adjustments as a way of increasing benefits for both customer and airline. In this respect, tools that permit companies to optimise the planning and assignation of resources using products and services aimed at satisfying the needs, expectations and demands of customers sooner rather than later are considered an excellent way to improve sector productivity.
The quality of an aviation company’s on-board service as part of its company image has proven to provide an important advantage when taking into consideration that a high quality on-board service suggests higher customer satisfaction. A number of studies carried out by our company have confirmed the fact that the quality of an aviation company’s on-board service really does play a major part in the overall satisfaction of its passengers.
However, we would add that it is necessary to keep in mind that the expectations of a passenger can vary over time resulting in the need for greater flexibility and a more dynamic organisation in responding to the individual needs of a customer. In short, resources should be managed in a notarised and repeatable way when trying to obtain a clear view of likely passenger expectations.
The object of this project is to develop and validate a system that allows the successful management of an on-board service by means of an optimal balance between customer demand and available resources.
As such, our company’s on-board service management system allows us to accurately quantify the impact of proposed modifications from an economic and environmental point of view by fulfilling our company’s quality commitment and maintaining, at the same time, the maximum level of customer satisfaction.
Objectives:-
The global objective of the project is made up of a number of partial goals which include:-
• The identification of the perceived quality structure and customer satisfaction of our company’s on-board service and creation of a flexible quality measuring tool based on the identified structure.
• The obtainment of a resource allocation algorithm based on the relative importance and satisfaction factors that influence the customer perceived on-board service quality.
• The identification of the different clusters of passengers and obtainment of personalised algorithms based on the personalisation of the service.
• The integration of an Air Nostrum decision making measuring tool for achieving increased management in a notarised and repeatable way adapted to customer expectations.
Sector: Automotive and Transportation
Coordinator: Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A.
Start date: 01/01/2011
End date: 31/12/2011
Project reference: IMIDTF/2011/108
“Active Optical Connector - Avionic Link (AOC-AL)”
Project description:-
The main aim of this project is to investigate the design, development and aeronautical sector qualification of an optical interconnection that allows the use of fiber optic cabling in avionic systems and subsystems originally designed and qualified for copper wiring. This project will conclude with the first active optical connector prototypes being manufactured in Spain with the exclusive participation of Valencian investigation centres and companies belonging to Cluster Aero CV based in the Comunidad Valenciana.
The interest created in the application of optical wiring for aircraft is based on the important advantages this modernisation process will produce. These include a significant reduction in weight, increased immunity against interference (EMI) and disturbances, simplified installation and maintenance, increased distance and transmission speed critical to aircraft navigability and reduced maintenance costs amongst other things.
The project will be aimed at developing a connector that will comply with international aeronautical standards and permit the substitution of the traditional copper wired connector for this new fiber optic cable product without the need to redesign or modify existing equipment. To achieve this, it will be necessary to take on an important industrial investigation process directed at an electro-optical and optoelectronic conversion within the connector itself while adhering to mechanical and electrical standards and system compatibility. This will require the development of photonic photo detection components; high frequency printed circuit boards and a number of complex mechanical improvements permitting miniaturisation. The conceptual basis of the project will be referred to as active optical connector.
Objectives:-
As mentioned previously, the main aim of this project is to carry out the necessary industrial investigation for the design, development and aeronautical sector qualification of an optical interconnection system that permits the use of fiber optical wiring in avionic systems and subsystems that, at the time, were fitted with copper cabling. To achieve this, active optical connector prototypes will be manufactured as a way of validating, in compliance with the strict specifications of the aeronautical sector, the technology used in the manufacturing process. The industrial investigation should not only resolve the design of the active optical connector itself, but also the method of testing it in agreement with the specific requisites of targeted sectors.
From an environmental point of view, one of the benefits of using active optical cables is the reduction of weight in applications where weight becomes an important factor as in the case of the avionics field where it is considered that a reduction in weight represents a reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted.
On the other hand, Spanish companies commercialising this type of aeronautical device in Spain are inexistent in spite of the existence of foreign manufacturers. As such, achieving the objectives of the project in hand would represent a first step towards obtaining a product presently unobtainable in Spain which, based on the continuous growth of the communications services sector, is forecast to become increasingly necessary.
Finally, this project would also make an important contribution to the improvement of those commercial AOCs presently on the market if we take into consideration that one of the main objectives of the active optical connector project is to introduce the device for use in avionic applications.
“Active Optical Connector - Avionic Link (AOC-AL)”
“Augmented Reality Maintenance System for Technical Assistance Support”
This project is aimed at the design and implementation of an Augmented Reality System for optimum assistance in the maintenance and repair of aircraft.
The proposed maintenance system will, by providing technical support on the precise location and orientation of the operations by projection, serve as a ubiquitous e-learning system for aircraft maintenance technicians.
This project has been developed in collaboration with the Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación en Bioingeniería y Tecnología Orientada al Ser Humano (I3BH) (Interuniversity Institute of Human Bioengineering and Technology Investigation) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
The project was funded, in 2009 and 2010, by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the IMPIVA (Institute for Small and Medium Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana) as an Experimental Development Project within the Investigation and Technological Development for Large Companies Programme (DOCV nº 6201 de 08/02/2010).
“Augmented Reality Maintenance System for Technical Assistance Support”
“TalenTIC: New Training Systems for Improving Personal Skills”
The aim of this project is to afford a substantial leap forward in the application of new technologies in learning and training. The main aim of the TalenTIC Project is to take advantage of the combination of the potential of play activities and new technologies by improving student and professional learning through the objective development of the theory of multiple intelligences, also known as horizontal capabilities.
Air Nostrum has taken responsibility for this project based on our membership of the Company and Investigation Centre Consortium where some 10 members have united to work together in order to achieve a variety of common objectives.
The project was funded in 2009 by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the Department of Industry, Commerce and Innovation of the Generalitat Valenciana thanks to the “Funds for Financing Strategic Actions of Industrial Diversification in the Comunitat Valenciana” Programme (DOCV nº 5940 de 26/01/09 - 2659, modified by DOCV nº 5972 de 11/03/09 - 10278).
“TalenTIC: New Training Systems for Improved Personal Skills”
“Automation System for Operational Information through Advanced, Ubiquitous and Secure Solutions”
The Electronic Flight Bag is an electronic information management device that provides flight crews with all the flight information they need. The main objectives of the project are:-
Operational performance: The introduction of technological advances in computer information delivery and management for the flight preparation and handling of Air Nostrum operated flights.
Environment: The provision of employees with technologically advanced tools for the achievement of optimised fuel consumption and reduced paper handling.
Aircraft technology: The adaptation of company aircraft technology to possible future technological advances in Europe and the SESAR Project.
This project was funded by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism as part of its 2008-2011 National Plan for Scientific Investigation, Development and Technological Innovation and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).
“Automation System for Operational Information through Advanced, Ubiquitous and Secure Solutions”