Alaska Air Group's (ALK) namesake airline said it will issue its
pilots Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad tablets in place of paper flight
manuals to cut down the weight of the required documents.
The iPads, which will be distributed by mid-June, will weigh 1.5
pounds against the traditional manuals' 25 pounds, the company's
Alaska Airlines unit said. The move follows a trial by 100 line
pilots, instructor pilots and Air Line Pilots Association
representatives who evaluated the plan over the past winter and
spring.
"We've been exploring the idea of an electronic flight bag for
several years, but never found a device we really liked," Alaska
Airlines flight operations Vice President Gary Beck said. "When the
iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the
perfect fit."
For Apple, the iPad--with its quirky position somewhere between
a giant smartphone and small computer--is further opening the doors
to new corporate accounts, a trend that began with the iPhone.
While desktop computers running Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) software
continue to dominate office cubicles, iPads are gaining traction as
an alternative to laptop computers for traveling workers.
Medical firms, for instance, have passed out thousands of iPads
to their sales staff to spruce up pitches to doctors. Abbott
Laboratories (ABT), Medtronic Inc. (MDT) and Boston Scientific
Corp. (BSX) are among the drug and medical-device firms making the
move, while others say they are testing out the devices.
Alaska Airlines said it is the first major domestic airline to
use the iPad to replace paper manuals for pilots. It is also
contemplating using the tablets instead of paper navigation charts,
which further add to the often 50-pound bags pilots are forced to
carry.
Separately, Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) last
October introduced the tablets to passengers of its Jetstar flights
as in-flight entertainment devices.
Alaska Air shares were recently up 1.1% to $68.02 Friday. The
stock has gained 40% over the past year.
-By Drew FitzGerald, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2909;
Andrew.FitzGerald@dowjones.com