In a move that is both pragmatic and ironic, IndiGo has decided to equip its ATR pilots with the now-discontinued iPad 9 as part of its NextGen EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) program. Apple may have retired the iPad 9, but IndiGo has found a new life for it – in the air.
According to IndiGo, the latest initiative aims to increase operational efficiency and digitize the cockpit environment. The iPad 9, with its A13 Bionic chip and 10.2-inch Retina display, is still a capable tablet. Apple has just moved on to newer and shinier things – particularly the tenth-generation iPad.
IndiGo first introduced electronic flight bags on its ATR fleet in 2020. Since then, the airline has operated around 450,000 flights using the technology, achieving an impressive reduction in paper usage and therefore carbon emissions. The transition to a digital cockpit was hailed as a major step forward for the airline, and now IndiGo is taking it a step further with the iPad 9.
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Captain Ashim Mittra, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations at IndiGo, was enthusiastic about the NextGen EFB program. According to him, the initiative not only increases operational efficiency but also equips pilots with the latest tools – well, not the latest, but certainly functional and reliable. The program aims to eventually achieve a completely paperless cockpit, a vision that the iPad 9 is apparently yet to achieve.
Meanwhile, Apple has updated its entry-level iPad lineup, slashing the price of the tenth-generation model and saying goodbye to the ninth-generation version. The iPad 9, launched in 2021, includes old-fashioned features like a Lightning port, a Home button, and even a headphone jack. These once-popular relics are now officially history, as all of Apple’s current iPads meet the USB-C standard, in line with EU regulations that marked the beginning of the end of the Lightning port.
So while Apple is moving forward, IndiGo has found a way to keep the iPad 9 running – literally. As the airline continues to roll out its NextGen EFB program, one thing is clear: sometimes yesterday’s technology still has a lot of potential.
