Swiss Air to Bring 3,500 iPads into Airplane Cabins

Photo courtesy of SWISS International Airlines

Swiss International Air Lines plans to start issuing iPads to all 3,500 members of its aircraft cabin crew personnel in December — a move part of a broader digitalization strategy across all of its services and activities.

According to an announcement from Swiss, cabin crews will use a dedicated app on the iPads to access flight menus, service procedures, passenger data and notification of irregularities when they occur. The tablets will also offer the cabin crew user access to their personal duty roster, key contacts, manuals and other communications, all in digital form.

The new devices can further be used to compile reports or complete forms.

“In equipping every one of our cabin crew members with their personal tablet device, we’re taking a further major step toward a digital future and a paperless workplace,” said Reto Schmid, Swiss’ head of cabin crew.

Bringing the iPads to cabin crew members are just one of several investments in new technologies Swiss has made recently. Last year, Swiss became the first operator of the new Bombardier C Series aircraft and is using some innovative concepts to monitor the health of its airplanes as well.

Swiss aims to complete the cabin transition to iPads by February 2018.

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