Lufthansa Technik builds cloud platform to optimize airline operations

Lufthansa Technik wanted to help airlines use data to better organize and schedule maintenance events—to improve costs, productivity, and the passenger experience. The company’s solution, AVIATAR, would support digital products for end users in development and operations. To create this solution, Lufthansa Technik needed a flexible, scalable environment that could run multiple applications using a shared repository of industry data. The company also wanted to move from on-premise to cloud infrastructure and adopt an agile, DevOps work approach. “We wanted to deliver new features several times a day, generating feedback very quickly,” said Tobias Mohr, head of technology and infrastructure for AVIATAR at Lufthansa Technik.

To create and operate AVIATAR, Lufthansa Technik wanted to use open source technology and shift to a hybrid cloud approach. “We want to be the open market player, not the proprietary one,” said Johannes Hansen, senior director of application development/UX for AVIATAR at Lufthansa Technik. The company selected enterprise Red Hat® solutions for its new, open environment, including container, storage, management, automation, computation, and integration technology. The AVIATAR team collaborated with Microsoft and Red Hat to create its new hybrid cloud environment, launching the initial version in just 100 days.

Software

• Red Hat OpenShift®
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux®
• Red Hat JBoss® Enterprise Application Platform
• Red Hat JBoss Data Grid
• Red Hat 3scale API Management
• Red Hat Ansible® Automation Platform

Lufthansa Technik’s new infrastructure offers faster application workflows with self-service capabilities, automation, and agile DevOps processes. It also supports better collaboration between internal infrastructure and third-party solutions. AVIATAR can now deliver new applications in weeks, rather than months or years. “The moment we have an idea, we can start building the product,” said Mohr. “This agility is something we have never experienced before.” Lufthansa Technik anticipates that AVIATAR will significantly reduce the MRO costs of participating airlines—equating to millions of euros per airline. “With tight schedules and high passenger expectations, the costs directly related to delayed flights are growing quickly for the average airline,” said Hansen. “We are taking out a huge chunk of those costs with AVIATAR.”