Delta Pilots Trading In Flight Kits For Surface 2 Tablets Via Acumor

Microsoft Surface 2 tablets are taking to the skies, at least on flights with Delta Air Lines.

According to a recent story by tech Website Mashable, Delta Air Lines will purchase as many as 11,000 Surface 2 tablets as a replacement for the heavy flight bags that pilots typically lug with them to the cockpit.

Savings

Mashable reports that the change will start with Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 planes. When the move is official, pilots will be able to leave behind their flight kits, which can weigh as much as 35 pounds, for Microsoft’s second-generation tablet. According to Delta, the airline will cut its carbon emissions by 26 million pounds because of the change. Delta also plans to boast paper-free cockpits by the end of 2014.

Flexibility

Mashable reports that Delta cited the Surface 2’s ability to multi-task as one of the main reasons for the switch. Delta said that pilots will be able to open two applications side-by-side. They might use this feature to study weather information while a second application lists possible flight paths. With both applications open, pilots will have all the information they need to choose the right flight path.

Good news for Surface 2

As the Mashable story says, the Surface 2 needed some good news. Tablet sales have been a relative disappointment for Microsoft. The company has written down $900 million in losses in the last fiscal year and has had to cut the device’s cost to attract customers. As Mashable’s story says, these moves haven’t worked. The Surface saw 1.5 million sales during its first eight months. iPads, though, enjoyed 57 million sales during the same time period.

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Read additional Acumor articles in their December Newsletter .

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(Image Credit – Acumor )

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