Neos‘ rise despite the pandemic has been inspiring on all levels. The trusted Italian airline has operated successfully for more than 20 years and it is now transforming the market by upgrading its fleet and expanding the number of available travel destinations for passengers.
To maintain a high level of safety and compliance, Neos recently implemented Web Manuals, a digital solution for creating and distributing manuals and procedures. According to Daniele Albanese, editor of the manuals and part of Neos’ Compliance Monitoring and Quality Department, the integration of the software has considerably improved its documentation and administrative processes.
Exceeding compliance work
One of the main reasons for choosing Web Manuals was the ability to automatically link compliance while editing documents, which was not possible with the airline’s previous manual editing software. Implementing a digital system means that the laborious task of manually monitoring and updating regulatory requirements becomes a thing of the past.
Before switching to digital manuals, the compliance and quality team at Neos had to manually record compliance checklists using Excel files, which was time-consuming and prone to errors. With Web Manuals, this process is now automated, saving time and improving operational accuracy.
“When we are talking about crucial EU regulations for air operators, these can often be more than 2,000 pages. With our former system, it wasn’t easy to perform all the changes and things could be missed in the process”, said Daniele. “Since integrating Web Manuals, we are notified of any new amendment to a regulation and which part of the manual has to be edited – it’s amazing.”
Web Manuals was able to support with the airline’s recent IOSA renewal audit, successfully completing and certifying conformity with the IOSA regulation, as well as with the continuous compliance with EASA AOC, CAMO, Part-145 and ATO certifications. In this sense, the Web Manuals system is saving considerable working hours to keep compliance for over 150 primary and secondary procedures.
Effective safety monitoring and document management is critical for commercial air travel. As the airline adds additional routes to new destinations, its compliance and quality team needs to monitor further regional regulations. “We will begin flying to Thailand in December 2023, so we’re currently in the process of being certified by the Thai CAA. To achieve this, we are looking at all the locally accepted regulations to assess if we need something else or if there are any specific procedures for flying there that we need to be aware of”, said Daniele.
Web Manuals has facilitated rapid expansion for Neos, by decreasing the number of hours it takes to maintain thorough compliance. Neos’ team opened a new route to India in November 2022 and at the beginning of April 2023, it inaugurated a route between Malpensa and Toronto. With the new documentation system, it’s also easier to sustain current operations, such as in New York, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Stockholm, Hamburg, and Guadalupe, in Central America.
Efficient revisions
Neos opted for Web Manuals after observing the immediate benefit of providing an automated solution that allows for thorough compliance and provides effective editing tools. For several years, Neos aimed to have a compliance checklist for its manuals, as opposed to editing them in Word or FrameMaker, while also working on Excel for manual checks. With Web Manuals, the team cannot only ease compliance monitoring but can also demonstrate to the authorities how the manual has been monitored, revised, and approved internally. The ability to provide a log page for evidence of compliance checks has been a significant benefit for Neos. The log page provides clear evidence to each aviation authority that the airline has performed compliance checks on all its manuals and procedures, providing transparency and accountability.
Smoother regulatory checks is of significant value to Neos as it upgrades its long-haul fleet and supports operational requirements for the newer Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The documentation support is allowing the carrier to provide a better service to its customers, move to more environmentally friendly aircraft and be able to accommodate the increasing demand. “We now have a more fuel efficient and less polluting aircraft, which are easier to fly and provide better air quality for the passengers, improving their travel experience”, says Daniele.
User-friendly editing interface
Integrating a whole new digital system can be a complex process. Daniele points out that Web Manuals provided a smooth and positive implementation process despite facing significant manpower shortages, as a result of the pandemic.
Web Manuals software has been designed to support big operations and still remains simple to use, as well as easy to edit. Paired with Web Manuals’ complete support and training at all levels of performance, both professionals with engineering knowledge and editors without a technical background can make the most out of the digital tool.
“The support we got from Web Manuals determined the success of this process. The team was incredibly helpful and made for a smooth onboarding process”, said Daniele.
Overall, Neos’ switch to a digital documentation system has improved its compliance processes and streamlined its manual editing procedures. The team at Neos remains optimistic as the airline continues to upgrade its fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft and add new routes to different destinations around the world.