Apple iPads in the cockpit will save $1.2 million of fuel a year

American Airlines (AA) has become to the first major commercial airline to put iPads in the cockpits of its entire fleet of aircraft, with 8,000 iPads now in use across AA's entire aircraft fleet. <p><p><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/9200533798_50dbfb22d3.jpg" width="600" height="355" alt="airlines-110705"></a></p></p>

American Airlines (AA) has become the first major commercial airline to put iPads in the cockpits of its entire fleet of aircraft, with 8,000 iPads now in use across their entire aircraft fleet.

airlines-110705

Their decision to move digital documents viewable on the iPad means that the 1.35-pound iPad replaces over 35 pounds of paper documents and reference manuals that pilots carry in their kitbag. The iPads also allow for quick and efficient updating of manuals in minutes without wasting paper.

It's projected that the use of the iPad as an electronic flight bag will save American Airlines 400,000 gallons of gas, or $1.2 million worth of fuel every year and eliminate 24 million pages of paper documents.

We wonder how long it will be before the iPad is actually controlling and flying the plane! 

Our latest highlights

Find out what’s driven our pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) below: