Cobalt today announced a new release, Version 2.5, of its successful CrewCall product. CrewCall is used by several of the UK's leading charter airlines. This latest swathe of functionality can save even more time and operational resource for charter carriers, many of which have been forced to trim the headcount within their crewing and resource scheduling departments since September.

The aim of previous CrewCall functionality was to ensure that both flight deck and cabin crew members were fully informed of the latest delays to their scheduled reporting times. This new functionality has a different focus: it tracks and maintains an up-to-the-minute record of crew who are available to be rostered for extra duties. The business benefits are twofold:

• firstly, the airline is given immediate access to accurate details, that can be interrogated by both location and skill set, to find crew who are both available and willing, at short notice, to cover an extra duty; and
  
• secondly, crew members are able to make themselves available for extra work in an easy and flexible manner.
  

The operational debut of Crew Call Version 2.5 will take place with Airtours International Airways Ltd (part of the MyTravel Group plc) and the upgraded software will go live on 1st May 2002.

Note to editors

Airtours International Airways Ltd is the in-house charter airline of the MyTravel Group plc. In 2002 the airline will operate 30 aircraft from the UK including three new airbuses. Airtours has a particular ability to flex its fleet size, which has allowed it to respond with nimbleness to travel market changes in recent months.