The Korean National Fire Agency (KNFA) has engaged Seabury Solutions, a subsidiary of New York-based Seabury Capital Group and a leader in delivering aircraft M&E and MRO software solutions for the aviation industry, to deploy Seabury's Alkym platform as the backbone of KNFA's Fire Helicopter Operation Information System.

The newly established system is intended to enable the KNFA's 119 air traffic control centre (119-ATC) to manage its fleet of 29 helicopters safely and efficiently, including facilitating the integration of operations, maintenance and flight crew training and management, as well as ensuring the reliability, safety and quality of helicopters.

“We are honoured to have been selected by the KNFA to deploy Alkym's industry-leading capabilities to power their Fire Helicopter Operation Information System, which will ensure the smooth operation of helicopters in real-time, while supporting the centre's disaster-relief missions across the nation,” comments Kyungik An, MD of Seabury Solutions' Korean office.

Seventeen air corps across the country currently perform maintenance individually, making it challenging to procure repair parts in bulk and perform maintenance that requires specialised equipment and capabilities. As a result, the efficiency of aircraft operations has decreased and maintenance costs have increased. To address these challenges, the KNFA has set out to create a firefighting aviation maintenance division within the next five years that will perform MRO work in-house.

A new Maintenance Information System will enhance the equipment's operational safety by establishing a systematic connection with the Fire Helicopter Operation Information System. Furthermore, the implementation of Alkym will enable the agency not only to deliver accurate maintenance-critical information, but also to respond to disasters in a timelier manner by providing immediate helicopter support.

“We look forward to growing our collaboration with the KNFA to support efforts in digitising its firefighting aircraft maintenance operations and enhancing the agency's helicopter maintenance management capabilities,” concludes Kyungik.