JetBlue pilots will be getting new iPad Pros thanks to a new initiative from the airline that will build off of their long standing partnership with Apple. JetBlue said it first got approval from the FAA to give pilots iPads in 2013 and will now be outfitting cockpits with the latest devices, which have Apple’s M1 chip and 5G.
iPads have become increasingly useful for pilots, who use them for operational tracking apps, hosting system maintenance checks, checking real-time weather patterns to avoid turbulence, and accessing procedures and manuals, according to JetBlue.
Apple has been on a run with enterprise deals in the last two weeks, signing pacts with dozens of universities, grade schools and even mapping companies that will see iPads and other Apple products used widely.
JetBlue said it was one of the first domestic airlines to begin using digital documentation in cockpits and added that iPads provide “safety-critical functions for all JetBlue crewmembers.”
The company noted that the iPad Pro is light, thin and has a Liquid Retina display, making it ideal for cockpits.
“Not only will the new iPad Pro with M1 take our pilots to the next level of advanced technology, but also future-proof JetBlue with top-of-the-line hardware for years to come,” said Captain Chuck Cook, director communications, navigation, surveillance and technical programs at JetBlue.
Cook added that JetBlue will be offering the iPad Pro to all new pilots and will eventually use the new devices to replace older ones that may break down in the future.