Henrik Ollus

Recently heard a metaphor in which data exchange was compared to water irrigation. Imagine modern aircraft and engines accumulating vast amounts of data from sensors and asset management processes. Most of that data then remains confined in the operator’s systems, as water in a reservoir.

Digital Twin technology has come a long way since then, it is still one of the most promising development areas with the potential for creating value in the aviation industry. Today, Digital Twins seek to maintain the digital replica of an asset or system throughout its lifecycle requiring continuous data feeds. That’s where the Digital Thread comes in.

Realizing paperless maintenance and operations has been the target of airlines, MROs and OEMs in recent decades. With the increased adoption of electronic technical logbooks and digital solutions in maintenance, a growing number of airlines are getting close to going 100% paperless in their internal operations. However, that development is less well advanced when it comes to external communication. Data sharing is essential for efficient collaboration in the industry.