Eastern Air Express – Setting the Foundation for Success

Enabling efficiency

In 2016, Eastern Air Express enrolled in Veryon Tracking and began the intensive process to apply for Part 121 Certification.

“The enrollment process was seamless,” says Everett. “The Veryon team acquired all of our data from the old system and transitioned it into Veryon Tracking and we performed a 100% quality audit to make sure nothing was overlooked—and it was all there.”

For the maintenance crew, which includes five technicians, the new maintenance solution was well received. Veryon Tracking provided a short overview of the program including where to find templates, how to set up signatures, etc., and they were off.

The maintenance group quickly found value in the electronic maintenance program for daily activities. From the Maintenance Dashboard to Work Orders and Electronic Logbooks, the team improved operational efficiency.

As Director of Maintenance, Adsett regularly relies on the dashboard to see the complete maintenance management snapshot the 737. He adds, “It lets me focus on what matters most, take action immediately and save time and money. The system also has a great calendar that I can draw down to see what parts and systems are due for maintenance or replacement in the next 90 days. From there, I can order whatever is needed in advance so we’re prepared.”

Most importantly, the maintenance tracking program set the foundation for Part 121 approval.

Compliance and customization

In 2017, the airline was awarded a Part 121 Supplemental Air Carrier Certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and ETOPS authorization.

As a Part 121 supplemental carrier, Eastern Air Express is required to produce a Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS). CASS is used to monitor, analyze and optimize the performance and effectiveness of their air carrier maintenance programs, report every month that shows discrepancies, worked task cards, hours flown, etc.

Everett says, “Our FAA inspectors join us for CASS meetings. We download the report directly from the maintenance tracking program, which comes in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. I can show all kinds of information out of the data that comes out of Veryon Tracking to the FAA to demonstrate compliance.”

As Chief Inspector and Director of Quality, Everett appreciates the Veryon Tracking auditing tools for checking to see what parts are coming near time/hour limits. He explains, “I also conduct quality control audits to make sure scheduled work was completed. Readily accessible real-time information about aircraft hours and due lists is vital to maintaining our FAA compliance. It’s about how our aircraft are doing and what may be coming due to keeping them in the loop. It also keeps everybody in maintenance aware of jobs that are coming up and plan accordingly.”

Soaring higher

The Eastern Air Express maintenance team is now looking to deploy the inventory module of Veryon Tracking. Until recently, the company was using Excel spreadsheets for inventory maintenance because its inventory warehouse was very small. That warehouse has grown considerably in the last year, which prompted them to look at the Veryon Tracking inventory module.

Soon after, Veryon Tracking converted the spreadsheets to digital format and plugged it all in the system. Everett says, “We have one individual that tracks all of our purchase orders and work orders that go in and out. One of the best parts about the inventory is that we can be anywhere in the world with our iPad, we can hook up Wi-Fi or to the internet and see what’s back home, what’s in our inventory and our warehouse, see if we have that part, see if we need to ship to us wherever we’re parked."

Partners in success

The Veryon and Eastern Air Express partnership was forged by a unique operation that needed a unique solution.

Bohnenkamp said it best when he stated that, “for us the ability to customize is foremost. Our needs are not off the shelf. There are efficiencies that we capture with significant financial impact, efficiencies that we capture by the ability to customize the program and then, therefore, use a customized maintenance program. It also gives us the confidence to grow.”

This confidence and capabilities make Veryon an extension of their operations, the feel, support, and responsiveness of in-house IT and maintenance planning departments. It is this ability that Veryon provided and continues to provide that makes Veryon Tracking part of Eastern Air Express long-term plan.