By Aritra Banerjee
In a significant step towards improving airline efficiency and bolstering its market footprint, global aerospace giant Embraer has fortified its partnership with Star Air through a comprehensive long-term Pool Program services agreement. This strategic collaboration is aimed at bolstering Star Air’s operational efficiency while it expands across India, thereby ensuring seamless connectivity for passengers.
The Pool Program agreement is poised to give Star Air access to Embraer’s extensive support network, enabling swift component exchanges and repair services for the E175 aircraft. The partnership extends to the airline’s existing fleet of five ERJ145s, which has maintained an impressive 12-month average schedule reliability of 99.67%, one of the highest in the industry.
Embraer’s Pool Program, already relied upon by more than 50 airlines worldwide, is designed to assist airlines in optimising investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources. The benefits include significant savings in repair and inventory carrying costs and a reduction in warehousing space requirements, while guaranteeing performance levels.
Star Air, which leased four E175s from Embraer in 2022, has commenced operations with two of these aircraft in May 2023. Being an all-Embraer jet operator, Star Air is strategically positioned to leverage the advanced Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis (AHEAD) system, part of the Embraer’s Pool Program offering. AHEAD, which was recently unveiled in its next-generation version at the Paris Air Show, is a predictive maintenance tool that uses data to identify and predict potential aircraft issues before they become critical.
The AHEAD system enhances the dispatchability of Star Air’s E175 fleet by monitoring trends and patterns in aircraft systems, allowing for early detection and minimisation of unexpected maintenance downtime, technical interruptions, and flight cancellations. Over 1,250 Embraer Commercial and Executive aircraft are currently utilising AHEAD worldwide.
A new update to the AHEAD system, to be released soon by Embraer Services & Support, will feature additional reliability trends and tailored real-time maintenance recommendations. The tool’s predictive analytics enable airlines to plan maintenance schedules in advance, reducing unnecessary maintenance and aircraft downtime.
Johann Bordais, President and CEO of Embraer Services and Support, reiterated Embraer’s commitment to Star Air’s continued growth. “AHEAD uses predictive analytics solutions to forecast when maintenance tasks will be needed by our customers, allowing them to plan maintenance schedules in advance,” Bordais stated, emphasising the enhanced operational efficiency it offers.
The agreement between Embraer and Star Air promises to benefit passengers through the improved travel experience provided by the airline, which stands as the pioneer in offering business class seats on regional routes in India. The collaboration also underscores Embraer’s commitment to fostering growth in regional aviation markets worldwide.