Less Paper, More Technology: Asian Carrier Upgrades Aircraft Maintenance

After recently introducing its latest Boeing 787-9 on Mumbai–London Heathrow routes and integrating the flight and hotel booking experience through a new partnership with Booking.com, Air India has fresh news. This time, the Indian carrier has advanced its renewal program following approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of India (DGCA) to use Electronic Technical Logbooks

At the same time, the authority also approved the implementation of the system in the Boeing 777 fleet.

According to the company, Air India is one of the first in the world to complete the full implementation of a digital maintenance log system across its entire Boeing 787 fleet - another step in a broader move to transform the company into a modern airline based on technology and data.

The ETL system replaces printed maintenance logs with a secure digital platform that enables maintenance engineers, engineering teams, and operations to share information in real time, streamlining incident reporting, accelerating response, and improving aircraft availability and schedule reliability.

In addition, the system provides more accurate documentation of maintenance operations, improves data tracking and regulatory compliance, and enables the use of advanced analysis tools to support predictive maintenance and data-driven engineering decision-making.

Besides the operational benefits, the transition to a digital system is expected to significantly reduce paper consumption, as part of the company's sustainability goals.

Photo: Air India

Jeremy Yew Jin Kit, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Maintenance, Air India, said the implementation of electronic maintenance logs across their Boeing wide-body fleet is a result of collaboration between engineering, operations, technology, aircraft manufacturers and the aviation authority. He added that the shift from paper-based processes to real-time digital information will improve operational efficiency, while strengthening maintenance governance, improving regulatory compliance and enabling faster decision-making.

The move is part of Air India's investments in digitizing its maintenance and operations systems, as part of its vision to become a global airline, based on technology and data, while maintaining high standards of safety, reliability and passenger service.

(ETL) as the primary maintenance document for its Boeing 787 fleet.