First airline selects PresSense connected tyre

Brazilian airline Azul has chosen the PresSense connected tyre and its pressure measurement system to equip its fleet of nearly 110 aircraft, which includes Airbus A320s and A321s, and Embraer 195-E1s and 195-E2s.

The result of a partnership between Safran Landing Systems and Michelin, PresSense aims to simplify airline maintenance operations. It enables aircraft tyre pressures to be measured remotely, eliminating the need to perform these mandatory maintenance checks manually with a valve-positioned pressure gauge. In theory this process can be performed just 45 minutes after landing, however PresSense uses three hours as a minimum waiting period to ensure tyres have cooled.

PresSense consists of a Safran-developed electronic pressure measurement sensor that is integrated into a tyre designed by Michelin. To check tyre pressures, maintenance agents simply need to place an RFID reader in front of the tyre. Information is read instantly on a smartphone app and sent to a database.

In a joint press release, Michelin and Safran states that PresSense can reduce the downtime of aircraft on the ground by over two hours every day, and by doing so it “allows airlines to optimise the availability of their fleets and thus gain in competitive advantage.” At fleet level, it also “offers them the opportunity to reduce their operating costs” as the maintenance operations “only take a few seconds.”

PresSense has been the subject of several successful operating tests with various airlines, allowing Safran and Michelin to now offer a mature solution. Michelin has been entrusted with marketing this digital solution.

Milestone after years of work

“It was here in Le Bourget, in 2017, that we revealed our PresSense connected tyre project in partnership with Michelin,” states François Bastin, chief executive officer of Safran Landing Systems. “Today, we’re extremely proud to announce its first selection, by the Brazilian airline Azul. This milestone marks the completion of several years of work between our teams to refine this innovative, reliable, and high-performance solution, proven by multiple test flights. In particular, PresSense will allow our customer to optimise the downtime of its aircraft and may be used for predictive maintenance purposes.”

“We are very honoured by the trust Azul has placed in PresSense, the connected tyre resulting from a partnership between Michelin and Safran,” adds Sophie Brechoire, president of the Michelin Group aeronautic activities. “The selection of PresSense by Azul, a major player among the South American airlines, validates the relevance of our technical choices when developing this innovative technology. Azul will therefore be able to take full advantage of all the benefits linked to this solution: safety, digitisation, and efficiency in its maintenance operations. A service offering that meets our customers’ needs.”

“Azul has established itself as a reference, not only in customer experience and services but also in aircraft maintenance and repairs,” says Flávio Costa, technical vice president at Azul Brazilian Airlines. “This expertise is shared with other companies through a different business unit, AzulTecOps. To match these high standards, we are always looking for innovations that can bring more efficiency, like PresSense and partners we can trust, such as Safran and the Michelin Group. Their unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence greatly contribute to our pursuit to be the best airline in the world.”