CHICAGO (AP) -- United and Continental airlines are replacing pilots' paper flight manuals with 11,000 iPads, which the airlines say will reduce weight and save fuel.
United Continental Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it will also give pilots paperless navigation charts through an iPad application.
The world's biggest airline company said it began distributing the Apple Inc. handheld wireless devices this month and all pilots will have one by the end of the year. The company said it would ensure that pilots always have the latest navigation information.
The company said each iPad weighs less than 1.5 pounds and will replace 38 pounds of paper, including operating manuals, navigation charts and logbooks. The airline expects to save 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year with the lighter weight and reduce the risk of injury to pilots who must currently tote paper-filled flight bags to and from aircraft.
AMR Corp.'s American Airlines began testing iPads in the cockpit on trans-Pacific flights two months ago. American could expand the program if the six-month test goes well.
Alaska Airlines said in May that it was distributing iPads to its pilots.