Jeppesen Sanderson

Jeppesen Sanderson

If you’ve ever sat in a cockpit — or even just peeked inside one — you’ve probably seen a Jeppesen chart. These things are everywhere in aviation. I remember flipping through a stack of them during a discovery flight years ago, and the instructor said something like, “Those charts have kept more pilots alive than any single piece of avionics.” Bit dramatic? Maybe. But he wasn’t wrong.

History and Evolution

Jeppesen Sanderson started in 1934, founded by a guy named Elrey Borge Jeppesen. He was a mail pilot who got tired of flying blind, so he started making his own charts. He’d note terrain features, landmarks, and other useful info that made flights safer. One man’s side project eventually turned into one of the most important companies in aerospace navigation. That’s quite a trajectory.

Navigation Charts

Jeppesen is best known for its navigation charts, and for good reason. Pilots around the world use them to plan and fly routes. These charts include airways, waypoints, airport layouts, and all kinds of useful data. They get updated regularly too — airspace changes, new airports, procedure revisions. If it affects how you fly, Jeppesen’s charts reflect it.

Aviation Software

Beyond paper charts (which, yes, some pilots still love), Jeppesen makes aviation software. The big one is FliteDeck Pro, their electronic flight bag solution. It gives pilots digital access to charts, weather data, and flight plans right on a tablet. It’s boosted situational awareness and made cockpits way more efficient. Fewer binders of paper, more screen real estate for actual flying information.

Flight Planning Tools

Probably should have led with this — Jeppesen’s flight planning tools are what a lot of airlines and pilots rely on day to day. These tools pull in real-time data like weather conditions and air traffic updates to help optimize routes. Better routes mean fuel savings, which means cost savings and a smaller environmental footprint. Key tools include JetPlanner and Jeppesen Aviator.

Training and Education

Jeppesen Sanderson has been in the pilot training business for a long time. Their textbooks, flight training syllabi, and online courses cover everything from basic flight principles to advanced avionics. If you went to flight school in the last few decades, there’s a good chance you used Jeppesen materials. Flight schools and individual pilots use them for initial certification and ongoing education alike.

Data Analytics

Data analytics is another area where Jeppesen has been making moves. By analyzing flight data, they give airlines insights into fuel efficiency, maintenance timing, and overall operational performance. Airlines can use this info to fine-tune their operations and cut costs. It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t make headlines but makes a real difference.

Global Reach

Jeppesen serves customers in more than 200 countries. Airlines, military operations, general aviation pilots — they all use Jeppesen products. That kind of global footprint doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on decades of trust and reliability.

Jeppesen and Boeing

In 2000, Boeing acquired Jeppesen. That move let Jeppesen’s navigation and planning tools integrate more deeply with Boeing’s aircraft and systems. The two companies complement each other well — Boeing builds the planes, Jeppesen helps them navigate. That’s what makes Jeppesen endearing to the aviation community — they’ve stayed focused on their core mission even as part of a much larger organization.

Commitment to Safety

Safety runs through everything Jeppesen does. Accurate, up-to-date information. Reliable software. Solid training materials. It all ties back to one goal: making flights safer. In an industry where the margin for error is razor thin, that commitment matters.

Innovation

Jeppesen keeps pushing forward with new technologies and approaches. They’ve been a driving force in aviation’s digital transformation — finding new ways to use data and software to improve how flights are planned and executed. Standing still isn’t really an option in this industry, and Jeppesen knows it.

Sustainability Efforts

Environmental sustainability is on Jeppesen’s radar too. Their flight planning tools help airlines fly more efficient routes, which burns less fuel and produces fewer emissions. It’s a practical contribution to the industry’s broader sustainability goals. Not flashy, but effective.

Customer Support

Jeppesen backs its products with solid customer support. Technical help, product training, regular software and chart updates — they make sure users have what they need. When something goes wrong at 35,000 feet (figuratively speaking, since you’d call support on the ground), you want a responsive team on the other end.

Future Outlook

Aviation isn’t slowing down, and neither is Jeppesen. They’re looking at AI and machine learning as tools to make navigation and planning even smarter. The goal stays the same — safer, more efficient, more sustainable aviation — but the methods keep evolving.

From one pilot’s hand-drawn charts in 1934 to a Boeing subsidiary serving 200+ countries, Jeppesen Sanderson’s story is a pretty remarkable one. Their charts, software, and training materials are woven into the fabric of modern aviation. As the industry grows and changes, Jeppesen will keep being a major part of it.