A pilot for United States-based Delta Airlines has stated that the company’s employees "fought hard for the iPad" as the airline sought to save paper and reduce weight in moving to electronic flight bags, but the effort was vain as Microsoft yesterday announced that the carrier will be equipping 11,000 pilots with Microsoft Surface 2 electronic flight bags, reports AppleInsider. The airline was one of the early testers of iPads for use as electronic flight bags in 2011.

pilots_ipad

"We fought hard for iPad," a pilot working for the airline told AppleInsider. He described the Delta deal as being about money, travel contracts, and Delta's Information Technology staff historically being "in bed" with Microsoft.

Microsoft stated in its announcement that it would save the airline $13 million per year in "fuel and associated costs", with the company's upcoming Surface 2 running on the Windows 8 RT 8.1 platform offering "real-time access to essential tools and the most up-to-date flight-related resources including key charts, reference documents and checklists".

The announcement comes after a number of other airlines and military divisions have begun testing iPads to replace heavy flight bags, including United, American, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps.

While airlines have been looking to embrace the use of mobile devices in the cockpit, the industry has been divided over personal electronics usage by passengers during takeoff and landing. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee, however, recommended the relaxation of electronic device restrictions on commercial aircraft just last week.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

northernmunky Avatar
153 months ago
"This flight has been delayed due to our Microsoft Surface Pro on a blue screen!"
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
myemailisjustin Avatar
153 months ago
Oh management..why do you never listen?

This is a prime example of management assuming they know what's best..it's all about saving money in this one. If the surface pro2 is anything like the original - stay away from Delta.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
osofast240sx Avatar
153 months ago
IT departments in general don't like or trust Apple. It's pretty irrational.

I remember in a previous job one of the IT guys went mad at me and starting calling me a "hipster" because I wanted to switch my Windows workstation for a Mac. The Mac would actually have been cheaper and had advantages related to the job, but that's the way these guys think.
My IT guy told me he would be out of a job if everyone was Macs
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
153 months ago
Bet MS gave them a real sweetheart deal. Gotta get those Surfaces out there at any cost.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike MA Avatar
153 months ago
Ok, at least they won't be misleaded by Apple Maps :D
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apple_iBoy Avatar
153 months ago
So did the iPads not work out as well during the beta phase, or did delta really just make a decision on mission-critical technology based on money and cronyism, as the pilot suggested?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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