IndiGo deploys new tech to cut down inspection time by 90% on aircraft

To enhance operational efficiency and faster turnaround of aircrafts, India’s biggest carrier, IndiGo has introduced sensor technology for faster and accurate scanning of life vests on its aircraft.

Life vests are mandatory safety equipment to be carried on all passenger aircraft in commercial service. These vests require periodic checks to ensure adequate numbers are available on board, and that they are in serviceable condition. Manual inspection of all vests would normally take 90-120 minutes, depending on the type of aircraft. With the introduction of sensor tech, this time has been cut down to 3-4 minutes per aircraft, IndiGo said in a statement.

This will result in huge time savings across India’s largest fleet of 300 aircraft, having more than 53,000 life vests. The huge time savings may result in better fleet utilisation and reduced waiting time for passengers.


Commenting on the introduction of new technology, Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo, said, “Developed completely in-house, this sensor-based inspection process for life vests enables us to prepare aircraft faster for the next flight. We will continue to push into new digital and innovative frontiers and introduce more such solutions to enhance operational efficiency and provide on-time, hassle-free, and affordable travel experience to our customers.”

Sensor technology refers to an automated data collection technology that, reads the tag which is there on the life vests which in turn helps in identifying, tracking, and locating the tagged life vest. With the introduction of this technology, IndiGo will be able to maintain life vest expiry date and availability on a real-time basis.