Airline pilots once carried large collections of paper charts, manuals, airport information, performance documents and operational paperwork into the cockpit. Today much of that information is delivered through an Electronic Flight Bag, or EFB: portable or installed electronic equipment authorised to display and process operational information with an equivalent level of accessibility, usability and reliability to the paper or other means it replaces. That is the standard described by the FAA’s active AC 120-76E, issued in June 2024. [1]
An EFB can be much more than a PDF reader. Depending on the operator’s approval and applications installed, it can display manuals, charts, NOTAM information and operational flight plans; calculate take-off and landing performance; calculate mass and balance; provide weather information; display airport maps and support operational communications. EASA’s March 2026 Air Operations rules list these functions among typical EFB applications and require operators to ensure EFB use does not adversely affect aircraft systems or the crew’s ability to operate the aircraft. [2]
The “flight bag” was originally literal
Before widespread electronic documentation, crews could need paper route manuals, approach plates, airport diagrams, checklists, operations manuals, performance tables and other required information. Operators also had to keep those documents current as procedures, runway information and company instructions changed. The workload existed both in the cockpit and in the document-control organisation supporting the fleet. [3]
EFBs move much of that information into controlled electronic libraries. The benefit is not simply saving paper mass. Electronic distribution can help airlines issue revisions more quickly, search large documents, present information contextually and integrate calculations that previously required separate tables or dedicated tools. Those advantages only count if the electronic replacement is controlled and reliable enough for operational use, which is why regulators treat EFB deployment as an approved system rather than a casual tablet purchase. [1]
Portable and installed EFBs solve the same operational problem differently
The FAA allows EFB functionality on portable devices or installed equipment, subject to the relevant evaluation and authorisation. A portable EFB can be removed from the aircraft and often resembles commercial tablet hardware, while an installed EFB is integrated more permanently with aircraft power, mounting and potentially approved data interfaces. [1]
Portable does not mean uncontrolled. EASA describes portable EFBs as controlled portable electronic devices and requires operators to consider mass, dimensions, shape, position, mounting and interference with aircraft systems or flight controls. The operator controls the device configuration because the tablet is being used as part of an airline operational system, not as a pilot’s personal entertainment device. [2]
Replacing paper requires equivalent availability, not just a digital copy
FAA AC 120-76E says EFBs used to replace required paper information must provide an equivalent level of accessibility, usability and reliability. That requirement changes the design question from “can this tablet open the file?” to “can the crew reliably get the needed information throughout the operation when it matters?” [3]
Battery life, screen readability, software stability, data currency, mounting and backup therefore become part of the safety assessment. A paper chart cannot suffer a software crash, but it can be lost, damaged, misfiled or become out of date. An approved EFB programme demonstrates that the electronic system manages its own failure modes sufficiently well for the operation being authorised. [1]
Document libraries were one of the easiest early functions to digitise
EASA identifies document browsers as typical EFB applications. They can display certificates, operational documents, manuals, the MEL and CDL, operational flight plans, weather information, NOTAM documentation and other material required or useful to flight operations. [2]
A digital document library can be searched and indexed, reducing the time required to find one procedure within thousands of pages. Revision control can also be automated so the operator can identify which device has received the latest approved document package. The airline still needs governance: a fast electronic update is useful only if the correct approved revision reaches the correct fleet and crews know it is current. [3]
Electronic charts changed how crews brief approaches
Electronic aeronautical chart applications are listed by EASA among typical Type B EFB applications. En-route charts, terminal procedures, approach plates and airport diagrams can be stored electronically, selected rapidly and zoomed without carrying large paper binders. [2]
The electronic display does not change the legal status of the published procedure. Crews still need the correct chart and revision for the intended flight. Screen size, brightness and interface design are assessed because a chart that exists in the device but cannot be read reliably in bright sunlight or turbulence would not provide equivalent operational usability. [4]
Airport moving maps add position awareness—but require additional controls
Some EFBs display an aircraft symbol on an airport map. EASA treats airport moving-map displays as Type B applications and has detailed 2026 guidance for the use of approved or commercial GNSS position sources. Position quality, receiver characteristics and integrity information have to be assessed when own-ship position is displayed for operational use. [5]
An airport moving map is a situational-awareness aid, not permission to ignore taxi clearances, signs or outside visual cues. The crew still navigates according to ATC instructions and airport markings. The EFB adds another information layer, particularly at large or unfamiliar airports where taxiway geometry can be complex. [2]
Performance calculation is where the EFB became much more than electronic paper
EASA lists take-off, en-route, approach and landing performance calculations among typical Type B EFB applications. Software can use aircraft weight, runway, wind, temperature, pressure, configuration and other approved inputs to calculate limiting masses, distances, speeds and thrust settings. [2]
This is more powerful than replacing a printed table with a PDF. The application performs approved calculations and presents results directly to the crew. Because an erroneous output can affect take-off or landing safety, regulators expect a higher level of operator assessment, software control and crew procedure than for a simple non-critical document viewer. [4]
Mass and balance can also be calculated electronically
EASA includes applications that calculate aircraft mass and centre of gravity and verify that the loaded aircraft remains within approved mass-and-balance limits. This allows crews and dispatch systems to exchange final load data electronically and receive calculated results without relying solely on manual forms. [2]
The application cannot correct bad input. Incorrect passenger, baggage, cargo or fuel data can still produce a wrong answer, so operators use controlled data flows and cross-check procedures. Digital calculation reduces arithmetic workload but increases the importance of configuration management and data integrity. [3]
Weather and NOTAM information can be consolidated on one device
An EFB can display weather products, NOTAM briefing information and operational data that crews once received through separate printed packages or terminals. EASA explicitly lists meteorological information, NOTAMs and in-flight weather applications among EFB functions. [2]
The source and latency of the information still matter. A colourful weather display is not automatically appropriate for tactical thunderstorm penetration or avoidance simply because it is electronic. Operators train crews on the intended use and limitations of each application and data source. [1]
Battery endurance has to cover the real flight, including delays and diversions
FAA AC 120-76E requires useful battery life to be established and documented for battery-powered EFBs. For devices providing relevant operational applications, the operator needs a means of ensuring availability throughout taxi and flight, including diversions and reasonable delays, through aircraft charging, adequate battery endurance or an accepted alternative mitigation strategy. [3]
This prevents an airline from treating “the battery normally lasts eight hours” as sufficient for an eight-hour schedule with no margin. Real airline operations include holding, diversions, ground delays and charger faults. The EFB programme has to account for those credible operating conditions. [3]
Two pilots with two devices can provide useful redundancy
Many airline cockpits use an EFB for each pilot. Redundancy can protect the operation if one device fails, but only if the two devices and their supporting power or software are sufficiently independent for the operator’s risk assessment. FAA guidance specifically asks operators to consider independence of power sources for multiple EFBs. [3]
Two tablets running the same corrupted database would not provide meaningful data redundancy simply because there are two screens. Operators therefore manage application versions, data loads and backup strategies as part of the complete programme. [4]
Mounting is a safety issue, not a convenience accessory
An unsecured tablet can become a projectile or interfere with controls during turbulence, take-off or landing. EASA’s current guidance tells operators to assess EFB mass, dimensions, shape and position and notes reported hazards including interference with sidesticks, tillers, push-to-talk switches, window opening and oxygen-mask access. [2]
The mounting solution also needs to keep the display readable without blocking required outside view or primary instruments. A position that is comfortable on the ground may become awkward during turbulence or when the pilot needs to reach another control quickly. Human-factors evaluation therefore forms part of the operator’s EFB approval work. [4]
Rapid decompression can affect portable electronics
Pressurised aircraft can experience very rapid changes in cabin pressure in abnormal conditions, and portable electronic equipment must not be assumed to remain functional automatically through every environmental event. FAA AC 120-76E requires consideration of environmental testing up to the maximum operating altitude of the aircraft for relevant EFB use. [3]
The operator can rely on tested device configurations, similarity evidence or approved backup strategies according to the guidance. The broader principle is that an EFB replacing required information has to remain available, or have an adequate alternative, across the credible environments included in the operator’s assessment. [1]
Lithium batteries introduce their own hazard assessment
Modern tablets commonly use lithium-ion batteries. FAA AC 120-76E specifically discusses lithium battery safety, including vulnerability to internal short circuits from overcharging, damage or over-discharge and the potential for thermal runaway. The operator therefore controls charging equipment, battery condition and replacement or monitoring practices. [3]
Portable power banks are not automatically treated as harmless accessories either. FAA guidance asks operators to consider stowage, cable placement, proximity to flammable or oxygen-system components and the power being supplied. A cockpit EFB programme therefore includes hardware safety as well as software capability. [3]
Screen brightness has to work from sunlight to a dark flight deck
EASA guidance requires EFB information to remain legible at the intended viewing distance across the lighting conditions expected in the flight crew compartment, including direct sunlight. Pilots also need independent brightness adjustment so a bright tablet does not destroy night adaptation or a dim screen become unreadable in daylight. [4]
Display ageing matters as well. A device that met brightness requirements when new can degrade over years of use, so operators consider condition and replacement rather than assuming every screen remains identical throughout its service life. [4]
Software configuration is controlled like operational equipment
An airline EFB is useful only if its applications, databases and documents correspond to the operator’s approved configuration. Airlines therefore control software releases, chart cycles, manuals, airport databases and performance data. Updating the tablet is an operational configuration task, not simply allowing consumer applications to update whenever a vendor chooses. [1]
A malfunctioning entertainment application might be annoying on a personal tablet; a wrong performance dataset can have operational consequences. Risk assessment therefore scales with the safety effect of the application. EASA’s current framework differentiates simpler Type A applications from Type B applications whose failure or erroneous output requires more substantial assessment and approval. [2]
Connectivity allows the EFB to become part of airline operations
EFB applications can use Aeronautical Operational Control communications to receive operational data and distribute information. That allows updated flight plans, weather, load information or company messages to move more directly between the airline’s ground systems and the flight crew. [2]
Connectivity also introduces cybersecurity and data-integrity considerations. Operators have to control which systems can exchange information with the EFB and how operational applications are protected. The detailed architecture varies by fleet and provider, so this article does not claim one universal connection method. [3]
Paper can disappear only after the electronic system is ready
An airline cannot simply stop carrying required paper on the day tablets arrive. The EFB programme has to demonstrate the required functionality, accessibility, reliability, training, procedures and backup arrangements and obtain the applicable authorisation. FAA AC 120-76E exists specifically to define an acceptable pathway to that operational approval. [1]
Some operators can maintain limited paper backup during transition or for particular information, while others operate fully paperless within the scope of their authorisation. The correct configuration is operator-specific. “Paperless cockpit” therefore describes the operational outcome, not the regulatory process required to get there. [3]
The simplest accurate explanation
An Electronic Flight Bag replaces bulky paper material by putting approved manuals, charts, flight plans and other operational information onto a controlled electronic platform. Modern EFBs can go much further, performing take-off and landing calculations, mass-and-balance calculations, displaying weather and airport maps and exchanging operational data. [2]
The transformation works only because the regulator and operator treat the tablet as aviation equipment in operational use. Battery endurance, power, mounting, readability, environmental performance, software versions, databases, backup and human factors are all controlled. The result is far more than saving the weight of a flight bag: it turns thousands of static paper pages into a searchable, updateable and in many cases computational tool while requiring the airline to prove that digital information will still be there, correct and usable when the crew needs it most. [3]
Verified Sources / References
- Federal Aviation Administration — AC 120-76E, Authorization for Use of Electronic Flight Bags, 12 June 2024
- Federal Aviation Administration — AC 120-76E Full Guidance
- EASA — Air Operations Revision 24, CAT.GEN.MPA.141 Use of Electronic Flight Bags, March 2026
- EASA — EFB Hardware, Display and Risk Assessment Guidance
- EASA — EFB Position Source and Moving-Map Guidance, Revision 24
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