OREANDA-NEWS. TNT Airways, TNT's subsidiary airline, is to roll out paperless cockpits across its worldwide fleet of 50 aircraft, following approval from the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority to use iPad Air tablets as electronic flight bags.

Each iPad will replace the 50 kilos of paper books and manuals carried by crews on each flight. Going paperless will also simplify the updating of flight documents, as updates are managed centrally and electronically, regardless of the crews' location.

All TNT Airways' 274 pilots have received an iPad. The aircraft cockpits have been modified to house the devices and permit their use in all phases of a flight, including take off and landing.

The approval was granted following a successful 6-month validation period. The Belgian Civil Aviation Authority investigated whether all safety requirements and conditions were met. MDM (Mobile Device Management) software provides TNT remote management and control of the tablets to ensure strict compliance with the company's policies on security, content and data.

TNT will remove paper documentation from its aircraft and flights by the end of 2014. From 1 January 2015, TNT pilots will solely rely on iPads to access information such as operating manuals, maps and navigation charts.

"TNT Airways is one of the first commercial airlines in Europe to receive the authorisation to deploy paperless cockpits. This testifies to TNT's commitment to innovation and safety," said Martin Sodergard, Managing Director Network Operations, TNT.