Will Retrofit Flight Bags Onto Older Planes

Boeing and Japan Airlines International (JAL) announced Tuesday the airline will equip its entire current and future fleet of Boeing 777 jetliners with the Boeing Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), following a validation trial conducted over the past year.

JAL has 40 777s in service and has been operating the EFB on two 777s as part of a validation trial since June 2007. Retrofit kit installation for the remaining fleet of 777s will begin in April 2009 and all installations should be complete by the end of the 2011.

JAL is scheduled to take delivery of three more 777-300ERs in 2008, all of which will be delivered with the EFB installed.

"The Boeing Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag is a key aspect of our vision for future operations," said JAL Vice President, Flight Operations Engineering, Mitsuo Koga. "EFB allows us to create a link between our airplanes and ground teams and helps us to be safer and more efficient in our operations."

The Boeing Electronic Flight Bag has become an integral feature on the 777 fleet, with more than 80 percent of customers accepting this option in production and then retrofitting their existing fleets. JAL already is a leader in the e-Enabled movement, operating Boeing Airplane Health Management and Maintenance Performance Toolbox. The EFB, which also is standard on the 787, is designed to fit seamlessly with these leading-edge technologies giving JAL an unparalleled ability to connect these airplanes across its entire enterprise.

"Japan Airlines is one of the world's leading passenger carriers and is highly respected for its customer service and fleet reliability. This decision to retrofit their entire 777 fleet with EFB says a lot for the airline's confidence in the value of this product," said Boeing Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Commercial Aviation Services Dan da Silva. "JAL's operation experience has demonstrated the benefits that the EFB can provide when expanded to a larger airplane fleet."

The EFB combines hardware, software, data and services to create an integrated package that saves money for customers by optimizing takeoff and flight settings, while providing increased safety, efficiency and the ability for airplanes and flight crews to communicate with airline maintenance teams.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.jal.com