Located in Canada’s growing aviation landscape, PAL Airlines has always prioritized operational excellence and regulatory compliance. As one of the largest independent airlines operating in Eastern Canada, it’s recognized for its top safety and quality levels.
However, maintaining this high standard has not been without its challenges. Cheyenne Ryczek, the Flight Operations Administrator at PAL Airlines, provides an insightful view into the transformative impact of adopting Web Manuals for managing their extensive documentation.
The Evolution of Documentation at PAL Airlines
Before Web Manuals, PAL Airlines relied heavily on Microsoft Word and SharePoint to distribute documents through the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). This traditional method, as Cheyenne explains, was loaded with inefficiencies. The size of the documents caused lagging issues, and the intricacies of amending specific sections often led to time-consuming formatting challenges.
“We were spending a lot of time actually fixing the formatting rather than working on the content itself,” she recalls. This not only hindered productivity but also complicated regulatory compliance, as tracing specific regulations within documents was a manual and cumbersome process.
Recognizing the need for a more efficient and streamlined documentation process, PAL Airlines decided to integrate Web Manuals into their operations. One of the key features that attracted PAL Airlines to Web Manuals was its mirroring function.
The ability to replicate content across multiple manuals ensured that any amendment made in one document was automatically reflected in others, a crucial feature given Transport Canada requirements. This eliminated the risk of discrepancies across manuals and significantly reduced the workload on the documentation team.
As Cheyenne reveals: “Having the Mirror Module really helped with compliance because we didn’t have to remember to go through and change it in five different manuals. We could just edit at once and it’ll carry out throughout all our documents.”
Transformative Benefits of Web Manuals
The adoption of Web Manuals has reshaped PAL Airlines’ documentation management. One of the most significant advantages was the dramatic reduction in time spent on document edits. “Doing the formatting in Microsoft Word, I could spend a whole day making a few changes in one document,” Cheyenne continues, “whereas with Web Manuals, it’s easy to just go in and change the content really quickly, and Web Manuals handles the formatting for you. It has really helped with time management and controlling our documents.”
Furthermore, the system’s ability to link aviation regulations directly to relevant document sections improved traceability and compliance monitoring. This feature was particularly beneficial during audits, as all necessary information was easily accessible and professionally presented.
She explains: “If we need to link a regulation or make a change to a regulation, it’s very easy to find exactly what that regulation is, and what we need to change it to, and how we can be compliant with that regulation.” The enhanced traceability also contributed to a safer operational environment by ensuring that all regulatory requirements were meticulously followed.
The Future is More Digital Than Ever
These benefits will be highly relevant as PAL Airlines expands its operations by adding international scheduled services to its operator certificate. This new venture will involve compliance with both Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. “As we’re going through the process with the FAA and becoming familiar with all their regulations, it’s really going to help with compliance because we can link those regulations right to the document and it’ll make sure that we check all the boxes and we don’t miss anything.”, clarifies Cheyenne.
The adoption of digital documentation has not only improved safety and compliance but has also brought efficiency to pilots. With digital manuals, pilots can swiftly navigate through documents using search functions and bookmarks, eliminating the need to flip through hundreds of pages manually. This ease of access to critical information enhances operational efficiency and safety. “They can easily maneuver through the EFB to find the documents that they need.”
Moreover, Web Manuals offers a unique function that allows users to track changes seamlessly. This feature provides operators with a clear view of what changes have been made, ensuring transparency and facilitating better decision-making. “From an operator’s point of view, if they are flipping through the document, and they see that there was a change, they can now actually see exactly what that change was instead of just knowing that it has been changed.”, Cheyenne explains.
As PAL Airlines continues to grow and embrace new challenges, the adoption of innovative solutions like Web Manuals ensures that they remain at the forefront of the aviation industry, setting new standards for excellence and safety.
