JAL, Bridgestone join forces to improve aircraft tire maintenance

Tokyo – Japan Airlines (JAL) and Bridgestone Corp. have started a data-based partnership to improve aircraft tire management and maintenance, the Japanese tire maker announced 16 June.

The collaboration, which also involves local operator J-AIR, will use tire wear prediction technologies to accurately assess the rate of tire wear in aircraft. 

Launched in May, the project will combine aircraft and flight data from JAL and J-AIR with tire insights and digital tire wear prediction technologies from Bridgestone to determine the optimal time to replace tires.

This increased accuracy is expected to reduce wheel and tire inventories and improve the efficiency of aircraft maintenance programmes. 

It will also contribute to reduction of the environmental impact by cutting CO2 emissions from manufacturing and in-use stages, Bridgestone added.

According to the tire maker, aircraft tires typically need to be replaced after several hundred takeoffs and landings. However, conditions such as temperature, runway surface and weight of the aircraft affect rate of wear and the new partnership will help assess tire wear more accurately.