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GI Aerospace, based in San Francisco, is now developing a blockchain solution for monitoring aircraft parts, TARA, and is planning to release an early-adopter version in the first quarter of 2019, according to chief technology officer Hadi Mohamed Shakir.
"We are one of the first companies in the world to actively bring blockchain-based technology combined with standard procedural software that makes it real for the aerospace industry," explains Shakir. The GI CTO recognizes that there is much hype around the blockchain, but insists that TARA is a "real-world" implementation of a platform for aircraft records and incremental innovation to bring further blockchain integration for data integrity and security. "
TARA will be a software platform for electronic data recording of the entire lifecycle of aircraft and components, with particular attention to airworthiness and maintenance records. For data integrity, blockchain will be used together with digital signatures.
The platform will have digital signatures based on a public key infrastructure with cryptographic hardware tokens to associate any action performed on a record with a specific person. TARA will use an electronic workflow system to direct documents and activities to the affected business units and will accept legacy records in digital format or digitized paper documents to ensure record continuity.
In addition, TARA will maintain records of structural repairs and damage in both the 3D and 2D models, and customers can load these models for their goods. Finally, TARA will allow the analysis of both data and its workflows, so that processes can be improved.
TARA will be a distributed private ledger where data is only visible to authorized members. Data will be sent to authorized members for specific data. "Operators can choose and choose which resource or type of data to share with external organizations," explains Shakir. For example, the landlords will only be able to see the assets they have rented to an airline, not all the aircraft of an airline. A data signature hash will be written to the blockchain register for all members, which serves as evidence of data records and for control purposes.
Sahkir expects customers to manage access to TARA. "However, blockchain allows data integrity monitoring by making changes to data, even by system managers, that are apparent to all stakeholders, even if the data itself is kept private."
The GI CTO expects TARA to be used by aircraft operators, MROs, asset managers, landlords and regulators. Emphasize that it will allow easy integration with multiple applications with an open Web-based API. Digital signatures will be based on a digital certificate form that uses widely accepted X.509 international public key infrastructure standards.
GI is not actively reaching potential customers until the beta is ready. Shakir believes that the customer's experience with TARA will be crucial to gaining acceptance. "There are some stakeholders in the industry that we have shown the first versions of our product and will experience it once it is ready".
