Software Management Solutions & Consultancy for Airport Ground Handling Operations

Virgin Atlantic Airways has contracted Gatwick based company Avtura Limited to use its pioneering Real-time Aircraft Turnaround Tool (RATT) at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

The hand-held PDA device – being rolled out this week at Gatwick following introduction at Heathrow last month – is expected to further boost the airline’s on-time performance.

It replaces paper-based tools for managing the aircraft turn and provides real-time prompts for when key activities need to be performed. This enhances the management of all aspects of the aircraft turn.  The system also captures real-time information at the aircraft side which gets displayed at the airline’s operations centre, enabling immediate prioritisation of overall activities should there be any operational disruption, such as severe weather. The data captured drives trend analysis as well as continuous improvement of the airline’s airport operations.

Virgin Atlantic is working closely with all its suppliers as well as the airport authorities at Heathrow and Gatwick and NATS, to deliver the best possible punctuality.

It is the first airline in the UK to adopt Avtura’s PDA based system that coordinates all aspects of the aircraft turn. Corneel Koster, Director of Operations, Safety and Security for Virgin Atlantic, said:

“This is a fantastic piece of airline-airport process innovation.

“The Avtura system will make a significant contribution to our punctuality drive. Having real time triggers, live visibility of all aspects of the aircraft side operation and accurate management information makes all the difference to our teams managing on time performance.

“At Virgin Atlantic we are passionate about delivering high levels of punctuality to our passengers, as part of the world-class service for which we are known. “

Avtura Limited, based near Gatwick Airport, was founded in 2005 and is an up and coming entrepreneurial company. Having Virgin Atlantic on board creates a real opportunity for growth for Avtura.

“With greater competition amongst airlines and increased costs, the turnaround is critical. Every minute counts; every minute costs” – said Christopher Meeking, CEO of Avtura Limited. “We are very excited to be working with such a dynamic and forward thinking airline as Virgin Atlantic and to further developing our relationship in the long term.”

Virgin Atlantic and Avtura have worked together closely for the past six months to tailor the system to the airline’s specific requirements, ensuring a smooth and successful initial deployment at Virgin’s base airports Heathrow and Gatwick.