Alaska Airlines has announced that the airline will issue hundreds of Apple iPad tablets to its pilots in order to replace up to 25 pounds of paper flight manuals.
While the so-called “electronic flight bag” doesn’t include navigation support, the company is reportedly exploring that possibility as well.
The Airline said flight crews, who will be receive the Apple tablet by the end of June, will be required to stow the devices during taxi, takeoff and landing — just like their passengers.
The airline hopes to cut “back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags that can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded.”
While Executive Jet Management became the first commercial operator authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to use iPads in flight, Alaska Airlines is the first major airline based in the United States to replace paper manuals with Apple’s famed tablet..