Britannia Airways, a U.K.-based airline noted for its holiday deals and destinations, knows that in the competitive airline business, time really is money.

If the airline’s flights are delayed, even by a few minutes, that can mean late arrivals, unhappy travelers and ultimately, fewer ticket buyers. That’s why in early 2002, the company decided to implement a new crew briefing system based on OpenText’s Livelink as a way to shave minutes off the time needed to brief a crew on flight plans, safety issues, passenger manifests and more.

Using a Web-based interface, the crew can access a Livelink-based crew briefing portal that lets them view critical data, as well as kick off reports, print and even route forms. Using the new system, crews can get all the information they need and be fully briefed in under 10 minutes, a huge savings when it comes to getting a flight off on time.

But Britannia Airways didn’t stop there. They’ve now enhanced the portal to provide crews with wireless access. The company has issued laptops and PDAs to all of its crewmembers, who then use them to record and transact in-flight retail purchases and access flight documentation, all of which is downloaded using wireless technology at the bases prior to the flight.

"We have given our pilots and cabin crew the ability to take Livelink directly into the aircraft, providing around-the-clock access to Livelink content so that they can make the best use of their travel time," said John Gough, program manager at Britannia Airways. "This is especially important today as we enter an age of heightened airline security. When applying this kind of a holistic approach to a Livelink implementation, it is easy to see how its widespread adoption delivers demonstrable ROI through the consolidation of disparate applications and increased flexibility."

In fact, Britannia estimates it is saving more than £500,000, or more than $900,00 a year by replacing paper-based processes and forms with Livelink workflows. And, the airline has also been able use the portal to provide an audit trail that ensures pilots are fulfilling all aviation guidelines, regulations and policies.

For more information, visit OpenText here.