Panasonic Business Systems

Panasonic has a range of ruggedised solutions designed to optimise wireless communications and information flow in airports and aircraft.

Communication solutions for airline crew

Panasonic’s ruggedised tablets and laptops minimise paperwork and optimise company workflow in cockpits and aviation facilities.

The Toughbook and Toughpad devices are implemented in a variety of applications, including:

Panasonic produces a range of durable laptops and tablets for the aviation industry.

Panasonic’s Touchpad and Toughbook devices are used for ground support and in-flight applications.

BH Air incorporates Panasonic’s mobile devices to minimise the amount of paperwork involved during in-flight operations.

The ability to work in adverse environments enables Thomsonfly personnel to use Panasonic Toughpads to perform onboard operations.

Austria’s Vienna Airport staff use Panasonic Toughbook laptops for improved ground operations.

• Airline ground operations and handling: the baggage and passenger transfer, cargo, de-icing and fuelling processes can be monitored and co-ordinated between all personnel using a weatherproof device
• Electronic flight bag (EFB): companies currently implement a durable Windows-based tablet as the cockpit’s EFB display, while maintaining a flexible infrastructure in the aircraft
• In-plane usage: onboard crews can use a durable mobile device to enhance onboard services, including duty-free sales and in-flight entertainment
• Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO): mobile devices are used to perform aircraft maintenance in workshops, as well as swiftly place orders for spare components and resolve technical issues

Ruggedised laptops for the aviation industry

Panasonic’s Toughbook and Toughpad devices are RTCA-accredited and DO-160D-certified, achieving the highest available certification in the aviation industry. This enables the use of Panasonic’s mobile devices for EFB and MRO applications.

There are three types of Toughbook available, including:

• Business ruggedised: shock-absorbent, withstand pressure of up to 100 kilogram-force (kgf)
• Fully ruggedised: resistant to dust, water, high temperatures and vibration
• Semi-ruggedised: scratch and water-resistant, can withstand impact and drops of up to 76cm

They feature built-in trusted platform modules (TCG V1.2 compliant), which generate cryptographic keys that allow secure authentication.

Depending on the model, Panasonic’s Toughbook devices include a variety of features such as touchscreens, LCD displays, shock-protected hard drives, versatile docking solutions, in-vehicle mounting options and a 7h battery life.

All Toughbook laptops are tested by a national independent third-party test lab, following IEC 60529 Sections 13.4, 13.6.2, 14.2.5 and 14.3.

Rugged tablet devices for in-flight and ground support

Panasonic’s range of Toughpad tablets improves efficiency and punctuality in the air and on the ground, providing quick and reliable access to approval processes, flight logs and technical manuals.

Features of the Toughpad range include:

• Choice of either Android or Microsoft Windows®
• Multi-touch outdoor display
• Up to 14h battery life from a single charge
• Various connectivity options
• Voice capability (FZ-E1/ FZ-X1)

Panasonic’s case studies in the aviation industry

Panasonic has been approached by Vienna Airport, Austria, to supply its personnel with Toughbooks in order to efficiently monitor and expedite the airport’s ground operations.

Bulgarian airline BH Air uses Panasonic’s Toughbook devices to employ a paperless cockpit environment in its aircraft. Due to their durability, flexibility and long battery life, the Toughbook provides reliable support for both crew and airport management staff in adverse environments.