Honeywell Forge: Changing Business Aviation for the Better

Honeywell Forge has made quite a splash in the business aviation community. With Honeywell Forge, corporate flight departments, fractional-ownership companies, and other business jet owners and operators finally have the solutions they need to improve their operations and create a great passenger experience every flight.

Launched a little more than a year ago, Honeywell Forge uses advanced data analytics to create smart, intuitive notifications and alerts when an operational, mechanical or connectivity issue needs attention or if there’s a problem brewing. It’s a single, reliable source of information, with a customizable dashboard, accessible from anywhere over any connected device.

The World Before Honeywell Forge

Currently, a corporate flight department may use more than eight services to handle things like flight planning, inflight communications, cabin services and flight concierge services. Honeywell Forge makes things easier for operators, pilots, maintenance teams, flight planners, dispatchers, and flight-tracking teams by integrating all this – and more – on one seamless technology platform that includes services from Honeywell and other leading aviation service providers.

For example, using the company jet is the right option when several managers from a midsize manufacturing company need to attend an urgent meeting tomorrow with a key offshore supplier based near a small community 1,500 miles away.

The flight department springs into action to handle all the necessary preflight tasks like making sure the plane is ready to fly and a flight crew is available and rested, checking weather forecasts and air traffic control alerts, developing and filing a flight plan, getting approvals to land and park the airplane, arranging for fuel, catering, accommodations and ground transportation, and so much more.

Work continues during the flight as team members, in the air and on the ground, stay informed about weather conditions, receive ATC and flight plan updates, track the flight’s progress, and make sure the onboard Wi-Fi is working so passengers can stay productive and entertained.  

Accomplishing these tasks manually takes multiple systems, dozens of people and many emails. Now think about the resources needed to manage dozens or even hundreds of aircraft simultaneously and you’ll start to recognize the appeal – and value – of a software platform that makes flight operations effortless.

Fielding a Next-Level Solution

Honeywell Forge’s capabilities far exceed those of other service offerings, including Honeywell’s previous GoDirect services portfolio. Using the number of aircraft covered by GoDirect four years ago as a baseline, the number covered by Honeywell Forge has grown 10-tenfold.

The platform has proven enormously valuable to business aviation operators of all sizes, from individuals with one aircraft, to corporate flight departments with several, to a leading fractional aircraft ownership company with hundreds of jets of all sizes and makes.

Movie star and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg and his flight operations team use Honeywell Forge to keep his aircraft connected, anywhere and anytime. “I’ve been able to take part in creative meetings, watch dailies and Facetime with the family, and much more, all while flying at 45,000 feet. None of that was possible with our old system, especially in certain parts of the world,” Mark said.

Dassault Aviation, a major business jet manufacturer, was so impressed by Honeywell Forge capabilities that they offer a private-label inflight connectivity service called FalconConnect, powered by Honeywell Forge.   

As its user base continues to grow, Honeywell Forge will have an even greater impact on the business aviation community. Business jet passengers will be affected most because Honeywell Forge improves the efficiency, productivity and enjoyment of flying in a private aircraft, with Wi-Fi as fast, reliable and readily available as it is on the ground.

Driving a Higher Order of Efficiency

Efficiency will abound, as flights take off and arrive on time and operators have access to real-time information that avoids delays caused by heavy traffic or bad weather. They can fly more efficient routes, too, thanks to datalink features that help them save time and reduce fuel consumption.

Flight departments have new insights to potential operational or mechanical problems, with advanced data analytics that provide alerts and help them avoid unexpected maintenance events and unscheduled downtime. Flight planners and dispatchers have access to the latest, most efficient tools that can show them every possible route in minutes.  

Honeywell Forge software reduces the workload for business aviation professionals, so pilots can focus on flying the aircraft and operations teams can spend their time on other priorities.

More efficient operations mean greater fuel efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint for business aviation. More importantly, Honeywell Forge makes it easier to buyers, sellers and partners to come together, stimulating economic activity and creating jobs in every corner of the world.