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Monthly Archives: November 2011

Evergreen Airlines to begin using new Universal Avionics flight system

November 29, 2011
Business Aviation News
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This December Evergreen Airlines will start to fit out 6 Boeing 747 freighter with a new system that features enhanced GPS accuracy, flight global reported this week.

Evergreen will trial the new system for 2 years, collecting data on how effectively the aircraft maintain their routes and approached, using existing systems on the same routes as a control.

Positional accuracy will be increased from 1m to 1m in the new wide-area augmentation system (WAAS) by boosting correction signals that combined with basic GPS signals in on board receivers. A key benefit to having WAAS is the ability to fly vertical guidance precision (LPV) approaches, the GPS equivalent of a Category 1 instrument approach.

Globally, there are now three SBAS in operation – WAAS in the US, EGNOS in Europe and MSAS in Japan. A fourth system, GAGAN, is slated to come on line in India in 2013.

The FAA are keen to test the interoperability of all the systems for airborne navigation and instrument approach applications, hence the Evergreen programme.

Aviation industry likely to suffer increase in Air Passenger Duty

November 21, 2011
Business Aviation News
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UK & Ireland airlines have asked UK ministers to halt the rise in APD. The rates, which apply to all flights originating from the UK and was introduced in 1994, were originally between £5 and £40, but now equate to an extra £17 – £120 per ticket.

Determined by destination, searing class and other factors the hike in prices could adversely affect the market in the UK – further making it an unattractive location for airlines.

An official from the Treasury told reporters that the APD had been frozen in 2011 and added that the UK did not charge VAT on air tickets, unlike many other countries.

However environmental groups continue to defend the APD, citing that its revenues go toward fighting climate change. Richard Dyer from Friends of the Earth said that ministers must now stand firm in the face of ‘unfair lobbying’ from the airline industry

Jeju Air Signs with ARINC for GLOBALinkSM and AviNet® Services

November 15, 2011
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ARINC Incorporated today announced it has received a contract from major South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air, for a suite of ARINC voice and data communications and network services.

ARINC will provide Jeju Air with its GLOBALink/VHFSM and GLOBALink/HFSM data link communications, and its AviNet® Type B network service, with value-added messaging applications for enhanced operational efficiency and performance.

Mr. Park Keuk Ro, Director, Operation Support Division, Jeju Air, stated “ARINC’s solutions have a good track record for quality and reliability. Consistent and long-standing performance as well as flexibility in adhering to our requirements were key factors that helped us in making our decision.”

The GLOBALink voice and data services will allow Jeju Air to benefit from seamless data transfer and communications between air and ground crews. ARINC’s AviNet Type B messaging supports pre-flight applications such as aircraft movement monitoring, passenger handling operations, and load control.

The AviNet Type B Messaging Service architecture is one of the most reliable in the world, delivering 100% availability. Based on store-and-forward capabilities and a robust set of IATA standard message routing features built into ARINC’s high-availability message platform, it supports legacy, proprietary, and custom messaging applications, as well as industry-standard IP-based MQ and MATIP formats.

For more information on the service visit typebmessaging-avinet.com/.

ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering and integration solutions for commercial, defense and government customers worldwide. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with regional headquarters in London and Singapore, ARINC is ISO 9001:2008 certified.

Gaming industry advances to be used in cockpits?

November 14, 2011
Business Aviation News
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Gamining Industry To Influence Aviation Technology

© Honeywell

Man-machine interfaces look ever more likely today as avionics attitudes change. Inclusion of gesture based touch screen primary flight displays, voice control and 3D displays are becoming more of a possibility as safety regulators take an open mind to the incorporation of gaming technology, Flight International reported.

Synthetic vision approvals were first made in 2002. The following year, Texas-based Chelton Flight Systems earned a supplemental type certificate for its wireframe SV on the primary flight display. Universal made news again in 2005, with an egocentric SV system for the PFD in Part 25 aircraft.

A number of airframers are working on creating  advanced EFVS that will allow for a zero ceiling, zero decision height. Research and development continues on fused SV and infrared displays.

With so many technological developments being made the FAA asked why with such good safety present it was necessary to incorporate gaming type technology in aircraft, and expressed concerns over this technology being distracting for pilots. Ultimately if proved safe and improving the pilots ability to control and monitor the aircraft these are likely to be become increasingly widespread.

ARINC Flat-rate pricing helps airlines manage API costs

November 1, 2011
Business Aviation News
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ARINC is introducing AviSec as a new flat-rate pricing concept to help airlines manage their costs for transferring Advanced Passenger Information (API) to destination governments.

It was launched by ARINC EMEA at its annual customer event, Converge and ENGAGE on 19-20 October.

“AviSec, a simple charging method based on a monthly rate for an agreed number of flights, has been designed to enable airlines to budget more easily. Currently many airlines are charged for each message on a per character basis, resulting in unpredictable costs,”

AviSec can handle and convert multiple formats from different airline systems and safely transmit data over ARINC’s highly resilient AviNet network, which has served the air transport industry’s need for secure, reliable messaging for over 50 years. Secure delivery is paramount for airlines which must transmit API in the form of batch flight manifests to border control agencies in the destination country.

Any failure by an airline to comply incurs a significant fine.

More information can be found at avisec-messaging.com

UK Government ‘not anti-aviation’

November 1, 2011
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Heathrow won't get 3rd runaway
Airport Operators expressed concerns at the u-turn on the third runway policy.

After the recent turnaround by Labour with the decision to scrap an additional runway at Heathrow it was starting to look like the UK government were ‘anti aviation’, slowing growth of the industry in the UK, the Press Association reported today.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said “I want to emphasise that the decision we took does not mean we are anti-aviation. This Transport Secretary and this Government are anything but.”

There has been some talk of creating a new hub in the south-east, put forward by Boris Johnson, which has not been outright rejected at this point, so we will wait and see if this comes to fruition.

Trying to allay some of the concerns expressed by airport operators Justine Greening went on to say “I recognise that the industry needs certainty and decision making in the long-term national interest, not chopping and changing for reasons of short-term political advantage.”

She added: “It’s time to turn the page and write a new chapter in the story of aviation. Prominent in that new chapter will be a credible, workable aviation strategy.