Bristol-based airline safety software specialist Vistair has won a contract with Middle East airline Eastern SkyJets for its innovative e-document management product DocuNet.
The Dubai-based non-scheduled operator, which stages pilgrimage charter flights and lease services, chose DocuNet following a competitive tender process.
The system will ensure that Eastern SkyJets crew and staff are provided with the most up-to-date manuals and documentation via a web-based system. 
It harnesses the latest leading-edge technology to focus on efficiency and reducing operating costs, with a comprehensive range of services from the production of digital and hard copy operations manuals through to the maintenance of all engineering documentation.
Eastern SkyJets, which recently changed ownership and management, has two operational bases in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) International Airport offering flights from the Far East, Indian sub-continent and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
As well as providing lease solutions for tour operators, it also offers ad-hoc charter flights to serve international aid and humanitarian agencies and VIPs.
Eastern SkyJets said it had selected DocuNet as it outperformed rival systems across the board for efficiency, effectiveness and return on investment.
It also said its commitment to safety, quality and efficiency was shared by Vistair and, according to Eastern SkyJets CEO Dr Pirouz Hamidian-Rad, had been a crucial motivation in selecting the company to be its e-documents partner.
“Too many airlines are stuck in the past and fall into the trap of building a top-heavy manpower structure,” he said.
“At Eastern SkyJets we emphasise safe, efficient and quality operations using a scalable business model that can respond to the ever-changing requirements of our customers.
“We first approached Vistair because of its global reputation for delivering a first-class managed documents solution, and that reputation was swiftly reinforced when we were shown the system in more detail and found it to be not only high performing but also extremely user friendly.”
No financial details of the deal, which lasts for five years, have been disclosed.
Vistair CEO and founder Ian Herbert said Eastern SkyJets’ progressive, modern approach to airline management matched his own company’s philosophy.
“It was a real pleasure to meet the Eastern SkyJets team and to see the way they responded to DocuNet, recognising not only its superior performance but also its inbuilt capability to drive efficiency throughout the document management process, ensuring they remain up to date across their manuals and of course fully compliant with the regulatory requirements,” he said.
Last December Vistair landed a £9m investment from Synova Capital, the UK growth equity firm, to fund its international expansion.
The firm, based at Bradley Stoke and with operations in Glasgow, Manchester, London and Dubai, develops cutting-edge, cloud-hosted products for global airlines including British Airways, Delta, easyJet, Air Asia and Emirates.
Its products – which can be used on tablets – provide digital information and data for pilots and crews, from flight operations manuals to safety reporting and quality measurement.
They replace the multiple copies of paper-based manuals that airlines are required to carry on their flight decks.
Pictured above: Eastern SkyJets CEO Dr Pirouz Hamidian-Rad, left, with Vistair CEO and founder Ian Herbert
