MDM for EFB: Managing flight-critical devices at scale

Tons of paper.
Bulky flight bags.
Manual updates before every trip.

That was flight preparation before Electronic Flight Bags became standard.

EFB replaced stacks of charts, operating manuals, checklists, weather reports and performance calculations with a single, reliable digital system. What once added physical weight now improves operational speed. What once required constant manual verification is built to stay current. For pilots and crew, this shift reduced both physical load and mental overhead.

But while EFB simplified the cockpit, they introduced new challenges behind the scenes. These devices now carry flight-critical information and that changes how they must be managed.

What are those challenges and how does Mobile Device Management addresses them? Let’s answer these questions.

What is an EFB and what it does?

Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) are digital replacements for traditional flight bags, consolidating charts, manuals, checklists, weather data and performance calculations into one device. In aviation operations, this reduces manual effort, prevents errors, and ensures pilots always have the latest information at their fingertips.

EFB streamline cockpit workflows, making information access faster and more reliable, which is critical for both routine operations and unexpected scenarios. Their core role is to serve as a single, trusted source for flight-critical content, allowing crews to focus on decision-making rather than document handling.

EFB platforms: iPad and Android devices in aviation

Airlines deploy EFB across multiple platforms. Many use electronic flight bag iPad devices for their intuitive interface and robust aviation apps, while others adopt EFB for Android tablets for flexibility, customization and hardware variety.

Regardless of the platform, EFB share the same operational responsibilities: storing verified charts, maintaining current manuals, and ensuring flight crew access to reliable data. A properly managed flight bag iPad or EFB for android becomes a standardized tool across crews, aircraft and flight operations.

What is mobile device management for EFB in aviation?

MDM for Electronic Flight Bags refers to the centralized management of devices used as part of flight operations.

EFB are deployed in managed, role-specific environments. Some are assigned to individual pilots, others are shared across crews and many are fixed within cockpits. They are expected to function reliably on the ground and in the air, often with limited connectivity.

MDM for EFB defines how these devices are:

• Configured before deployment
• Maintained throughout their operational lifecycle
• Governed to ensure consistency across devices

This form of management is not designed for general employee mobility or personal usage. It exists to ensure that EFB behave as operational tools. Predictable, standardized and aligned with flight requirements.

At its core, MDM for EFB establishes a single point of visibility and management for devices that must operate the same way, every time, regardless of who is using them or where they are used.

Why EFB demand centralized management?

EFB operate in environments where inconsistency is not acceptable.

These devices move between pilots, aircraft, routes and locations. Some remain mounted in cockpits, others travel with the crew. Connectivity is intermittent. Usage conditions change, but expectations don’t and information must always be accurate and accessible.

Without centralized management, small gaps compound quickly.

Document versions drift. One device carries updated charts, another doesn’t. Manuals are refreshed on some tablets, missed on others. What begins as a minor oversight becomes an operational inconsistency.

There is also the question of accountability. When devices are shared or reassigned, tracking configuration changes, content updates or access becomes difficult without a central system in place.

Security adds another layer of pressure. EFB contain sensitive operational data. If a device is misplaced, compromised, or used outside its intended scope, the impact extends beyond the device itself.

In short, EFB demand centralized oversight because they are:

• Distributed across people and aircraft
• Dependent on consistency rather than individual handling
• Responsible for flight-critical information

Managing them in isolation introduces variability. Centralized management exists to remove that variability before it reaches flight operations.

What an MDM must do for EFB environments?

An MDM used for EFB deployments must be built around operational certainty, not general device flexibility.

First, it must enforce a managed application environment. EFB should run only approved flight-related applications, with no room for unauthorized installs or configuration changes. This ensures devices remain focused on their operational role.

Second, it must maintain document and data consistency. Charts, manuals and operational content need to be distributed centrally and remain aligned across all devices. Version accuracy is not optional in flight operations.

Third, it must support offline usage without losing governance. EFB must function reliably during flight, while still syncing configurations, updates and compliance checks once connectivity is restored.

Finally, it must preserve uniformity at scale. Whether devices are pilot-assigned or shared across aircraft, every EFB should follow the same configuration baseline to prevent drift over time.

In EFB environments, an MDM is not judged by how many features it offers, but by how effectively it eliminates variation.

How Scalefusion supports EFB operations

Scalefusion provides centralized management for mission-critical devices operating in regulated, high-reliability environments. Its EFB support focuses on consistency, security and operational continuity without disrupting flight workflows.

Key Scalefusion capabilities for EFB deployments include:

• OS update & patch management – Define when and how operating system updates are applied, ensuring devices remain secure without interrupting flight operations.
• Application management – Deploy and maintain EFB applications with version consistency, silent updates for in-house apps, and scheduled updates for App Store applications. Approved apps can also be installed via the app catalog when connectivity is restored.
• Location tracking & device visibility – Enable live location visibility with configurable tracking frequency, along with historical movement data to support fleet oversight.
• Device inventory & reporting – Access detailed inventory and operational reports covering OS versions, storage availability, installed software, and hardware details, available on demand or via scheduled delivery.
• Offline policy persistence – Ensure EFB remain fully functional during flight while policies and updates synchronize automatically once connectivity is restored.
• Apple Business Manager (ABM) – ABM Support seamless onboarding and migration for iPads running iOS 26+, with centralized reset and reconfiguration for older devices.
• Device-level actions – Perform remote actions such as reboot, power off, factory reset, lock, wipe, or mark devices as lost to protect operational data.
• Device profiles & policies – Apply standardized policy blueprints covering passcodes, single-app mode, iCloud settings, AirDrop, camera access, screenshots, copy-paste, USB usage, and wallpapers.
• Content management (FileDock) – Distribute charts, manuals, and operational documents securely and consistently across EFB deployments.
• Enterprise store / App Catalog – Enable private app distribution, enterprise app uploads, and pilot-facing catalogs for manual installation when devices reconnect.
• Secure Web Gateway – Limit web access to approved domains and IPs through the Secure Web Gateway add-on.
• CIS Compliance Automation – Enforce CIS Level 1 and Level 2 benchmarks automatically, with one-click remediation for non-compliant devices.

Scalefusion enables airlines and operators to manage EFB as standardized operational assets rather than individually handled devices.

Use cases around EFB deployments where MDM matters

Airline device-wide EFB rollouts

Large-scale EFB deployments require every device to operate from the same baseline. Centralized management ensures charts, manuals, applications and OS versions remain consistent across devices, routes and aircraft, reducing operational variability and pre-flight dependency on manual checks.

Shared cockpit EFB

Cockpit-mounted or shared EFB rotate between crews and flights. Device management ensures each handover returns the EFB to a predefined operational state, protecting data, maintaining configuration integrity and supporting secure reuse without manual intervention.

Pilot-assigned EFB programs

When EFB are assigned to individual pilots, organizations must balance standardization with day-to-day usability. Centralized oversight helps maintain approved applications, versions and content while supporting predictable behavior across duty cycles and locations.

Business aviation and charter operations

Smaller fleets and mixed aircraft environments demand EFB that are easy to standardize without dedicated IT effort. Centralized management simplifies updates, visibility and consistency across aircraft types while keeping operational overhead low.

Training and simulator environments

EFB used in training and simulation must accurately reflect live flight configurations. Device management ensures training devices stay aligned with current operational content and application versions, eliminating drift between simulated and real-world environments.

Scalefusion for Electronic Flight Bags in aviation operations

Electronic Flight Bags transformed flight operations by replacing cumbersome paper and manual checks with digital efficiency. Since these devices carry flight-critical information, any inconsistency can impact safety and operations.

Scalefusion ensures that every EFB, whether shared, cockpit-mounted or pilot-assigned, remains secure, accurate and ready for every flight. It removes uncertainty, enforces standardization and keeps pilots focused on efficient flight operations.

With Scalefusion UEM, airlines and operators can treat EFB as trusted operational assets.

FAQs

1. What are electronic flight bags and how are they used in aviation?

Electronic flight bags (EFB) are digital systems used in aviation to replace paper-based flight documentation such as charts, manuals, checklists, weather data and performance calculations. In EFB aviation environments, these devices support both pre-flight planning and in-flight reference, improving accuracy and reducing preparation time while ensuring crews always operate with current information.

2. How are electronic flight bags managed on iPads used by pilots?

An electronic flight bag iPad is typically enrolled into a centralized management platform like Scalefusion UEM to ensure consistent configuration, approved applications and secure access to flight-critical data. This approach allows airlines to standardize device behavior, manage updates without disrupting operations, and protect sensitive information if a flight bag iPad is lost or reassigned.

3. Can EFB run on Android devices as well as iPads?

Yes. Modern EFB programs often support both electronic flight bag Android and iPad deployments. EFB for Android devices are commonly used in mixed-fleet or cost-sensitive operations. MDM solutions like Scalefusion ensures both platforms follow the same operational standards, application versions and security policies regardless of operating system.

4. Why is centralized management important for electronic flight bags?

Electronic flight bags carry flight-critical information and must remain reliable even with limited connectivity. Centralized management helps aviation teams maintain consistent application versions, enforce security policies, track devices and manage updates across every flight bag iPad or Android EFB without manual intervention supporting safe and predictable operations at scale.