Rolls-Royce has opened its new engine services unit, which it calls the Airline Aircraft Availability Centre, combining the latest in digital data management and technology innovation.

Based on data monitored from thousands of engines across the world, the Airline Aircraft Availability Centre will see Rolls-Royce take its digital capability much further in terms of scale and scope – from kilobytes of data per flight to terabytes - allowing for better, faster, services decisions to be made.

The Centre also positions Rolls-Royce to turn its IntelligentEngine concept into a reality – combining analysis of digital data from engines with those of customers and partners to enhance airline economics in terms of aircraft availability and fuel efficiency, supported by new services technologies and techniques.

The Airline Aircraft Availability Centre will also be a hub for the introduction of new technologies. The company cites a new real-time collaboration system that lets engineers working on engines around the world share live pictures from inside an engine with the team at the Centre, and receive their advice on the next steps to take.

In addition, “remote surgery” techniques, will let experts at the Centre carry out complex engineering tasks by remote control.