NavTech

NavTech, now operating as NAVBLUE, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus specializing in flight operations and air traffic management solutions. The company's history began in the mid-1980s when Air Canada pilot Ray English, together with his wife Dorothy, a self-taught software engineer, developed a computerized flight planning system in their garage. Their initial product aimed to calculate the benefits of fuel tankering, a concept that expanded into a full flight operations management system. The company was officially founded in 1987.

Throughout its history, Navtech pursued growth through strategic acquisitions, including Compuflight in 1993 to increase its flight planning market share, Global Weather Dynamics Inc.'s Weather Service division in 1998, and Airware Solutions in 2001, which marked its entry into the crew planning market. A significant milestone occurred in March 2016 when Airbus Group completed the acquisition of Navtech. Subsequently, in July 2016, Airbus merged Navtech with its entities Airbus LUCEM and Airbus ProSky, rebranding the new integrated company as NAVBLUE. At the time of the acquisition, Navtech had annual revenues of around $42 million and approximately 250 employees.

NAVBLUE provides a comprehensive suite of software and data services to over 600 customers worldwide, including airlines, aircraft operators, and air navigation service providers. The business model is centered on delivering digital solutions that enhance operational efficiency, optimize resource allocation, and improve safety. Its product portfolio is extensive, covering digital cockpit operations, Operations Control Centre (OCC) systems, flight planning, aeronautical charts, navigation data, and crew management. Key offerings include the 'Navblue Flight Plan' for optimizing flight costs, performance engineering tools for fuel management, and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications that provide pilots with digital access to charts and operational data. The company leverages its direct access to Airbus's aircraft manufacturing expertise and Skywise, Airbus's open data platform, to deliver integrated and data-driven solutions.

Keywords: flight operations software, air traffic management, aeronautical charts, flight planning system, navigation data, crew planning solutions, electronic flight bag, fuel tankering, aircraft performance, digital cockpit, NAVBLUE, Airbus subsidiary, airline operational efficiency, flight operations management, aviation data analytics, Performance Based Navigation, Operations Control Centre, airline software solutions, aerospace technology, flight dispatch