Navtech is a firm that many business aviation pilots might not be familiar with, but the company’s growing product line fits the needs of many types of operations, and not just the airlines that have been the company’s principal customer. Currently, Navtech’s customer base includes more than 400 airlines and aviation service companies, which use its paper and electronic charts, navigation data, flight-planning services, performance software and crew-planning solutions.
In May, Navtech (Booth 1964) added Apple iOS electronic flight bag capability with the release of its iCharts EFB solution, which provides aeronautical en route and airport charts on the iPad tablet, replacing paper charts. In June, it released the Windows version of iCharts.
The company’s flight-planning software uses a browser-based user interface and facilitates optimization of routes to minimize fuel consumption. Dynamic route construction functionality, according to Navtech, allows operators “to reduce operating costs, increase productivity and maximize safety.”
Obstacle performance is an important consideration for pilots flying out of hot-and-high airports at maximum weights, and Navtech’s performance solution includes an obstacle database, Notam watch and engine-failure procedure. The performance software is available for EFBs as well.
Navtech’s research-and-development department is working on further capabilities for the iOS tablet performance solution, too, but these will likely depend on aircraft manufacturers making available performance data in a format that can be adapted to modern devices.
The crew-planning system is used by more than 40,000 airline personnel, according to Navtech, “to build pairings [and] bid for and create schedules.
Finally, the company maintains its own navigation database, which serves a variety of airplane and helicopter operators. The database, available in multiple formats, is fully compliant with the 28-day AIRAC update schedule and meets EUROCAE ED76/RTCA DO-200A requirements.
Navtech is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) and has offices in London and Ahmedabad.
