Líder Aviação

Líder Aviação is one of the largest companies in the private aviation sector in Brazil and Latin America. They provide aviation services for corporate and private clients, including helicopter charters and management, aircraft sales and acquisitions, aircraft maintenance and management, executive charter services, and ground handling services.

With a fleet of over 55 helicopters and planes stationed across Brazil at any given time, Líder Aviação relies on smart technology and real-time systems to monitor their aircraft closely and take swift follow-up action. The SafetyCulture platform has helped them streamline processes, empowering auditors, leaders, and teams to make confident decisions and provide excellent customer service nationwide.

Taking off with smarter inspections

Marta Aires, the Quality Coordinator for Líder Aviação’s helicopter division, oversees quality control and inspections for a fleet of 40 helicopters and manages certification processes for the company. Her role requires extensive travel to various helicopter locations across Brazil, where she meets auditors who inspect the aircraft and operational bases.  Marta manages the processes for verifying quality control assurance and, together with the Líder Aviação team, works to ensure that their aircraft are in proper flight conditions and receive the necessary maintenance promptly.

Marta needed a way to prioritize inspections, allocate resources effectively, and maintain the highest safety standards. Inspired by how the SafetyCulture platform had improved workflows for her colleagues, Marta explored how her team could benefit from it too.

Líder Aviação’s previous safety audit system and process required Auditors to visit aircraft armed with a notebook, computer, and smartphone, conduct inspection in notes and photos to later compile into an Excel spreadsheet.

“What we had been doing was working fine, but there was room for improvement,” said Marta. “The SafetyCulture platform was the obvious choice for fully digitizing and streamlining audits on our helicopters.”

The old method also posed logistical challenges. Helicopters and executive planes are tight spaces, so carrying multiple devices was inconvenient. Switching to SafetyCulture’s Inspections meant the Auditing team could use iPhones or iPads as all-in-one tools, including taking photos and uploading them instantly, and complete the entire inspection process on the one platform.

Marta’s team is thrilled with how user-friendly audits have become for her team. The simplicity of using a single device has made the process more efficient and comfortable for everyone involved.

Using the SafetyCulture platform, Marta’s team has reduced inspection times by 30%. “One audit used to take around five days with four auditors to complete. Now, they can finish in three days with just two auditors,” Marta explained. This 50% reduction in the number of auditors required per inspection has saved Líder Aviação R$80,000 annually in cost of the Auditor contractors.

Clear skies for prioritising follow-up actions

As part of the updated audit process, Marta implemented a risk rating system to prioritize follow-up actions. They categorize non-conformities into high risk, medium risk, and low risk. Each status is determined by the standard time to complete follow-ups, and how urgent they are. High-risk non-conformities now require in-person follow-ups, often involving travel to the aircraft’s location. 

Thanks to the platform’s streamlined audit process, Marta and her team have much better visibility into necessary follow-ups and can plan resource allocation more effectively before traveling.

“We have around 40 helicopters across Brazil,” Marta said. “Having a clear understanding of the problem and associated safety and quality risks is not only important for resource management but also makes planning much easier.”

More runway for improvements

With more comprehensive reporting and remote access to photos, Marta and Líder Aviação management can compare trends over time, gain better visibility into non-conformities, and use these insights to drive process improvements. These enhancements have helped reduce inspection times, optimize costs, and foster greater collaboration among team members.

“We have saved a significant amount of time and money in the time we’ve used the SafetyCulture platform for this process,” Marta said. “Over the last six-plus years that Líder has used the platform, we’ve seen consistent and significant improvements in how we work. We are very excited to see how other areas can find an even better way of working.”