CHC Helicopter pioneers AI-Powered Engine Diagnostics and Health Monitoring with ITP Aero’s DigitAI Aero™ Service
CHC Helicopter has signed a new agreement with ITP Aero to implement DigitAI Aero™ across its fleet of helicopter engines. This landmark partnership establishes CHC as the leading helicopter operator to embrace AI-powered solutions for engine diagnosis and health monitoring, significantly enhancing its existing maintenance support partnership with ITP Aero.
The DigitAI Aero™ service unlocks the potential of full-flight engine diagnosis for CHC’s fleet, providing a big data solution capable of processing over 3 million data points per flight hour for the S-92, 1 million for the AW139, and more than 6 million for the AW189.
Additionally, engines in operation will be diagnosed daily using a suite of specialized tools developed specifically for the S-92 and AW139, helping to facilitate early detection of potential engine issues. With ITP Aero’s DigitAI Aero service, helicopter AOG (Aircraft on Ground) may now be addressed months in advance.
Miguel Carrasco, SVP Technical Operations at CHC Helicopter, stated: “The integration of DigitAI Aero into our operations marks a transformative step forward for our fleet management and maintenance processes. We are not only enhancing our predictive maintenance strategies but also ensuring the highest levels of safety and reliability for our customers. Using AI to predict when a helicopter might be grounded due to engine unscheduled maintenance needs, weeks in advance, significantly improves our operational planning and customer service.
Barry van der Ark, Director Strategic Sourcing, Categories and Licensing at CHC Helicopter adds: ”After our consultation with “AI” companies, working with our Engineering, Reliability and Technical Airworthiness teams, we are proud to lead this innovation in the helicopter industry, demonstrating our commitment to excellence and safety with our long term partner ITP Aero.”
Daniel Barredo, DigitAI Aero™ Services Manager said: “CHC Helicopter were the first to use HUMS over 25 years ago and is now the first helicopter operator to embrace our DigitAI Aero service. Over the past seven years of dedicated collaboration, we have processed significant volumes of data and analyzed more than 214,473 complete flights within the S-92 fleet. We have proactively addressed over 100 engine events, resulting in a dramatic decrease in AOG calls. This partnership exemplifies the effective collaboration between two pioneering companies”.
