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Monthly Archives: August 2012

Airline IT Trends Survey 2012 – Key facts and figures

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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This week I wanted to share a few of the interesting facts and figures found of the executive summary of the Airline IT Trends Survey 2012.

Airlines are more guarded about their outlook for 2013, taking into account a significant economic downside risk. Almost half of the airlines surveyed are still expecting their absolute IT spend to rise. However, the percentage of airlines anticipating growth in IT spending has decreased over the last three years.

For a second consecutive year, mobile services for passengers tops the list of investment programs for airlines, with six out of ten planning major investments in the next three years.

Airlines are continuing to expand their ticket distribution through direct channels. Emerging sales channels such as mobile and social media will have a significant impact on future growth in direct sales.

In the past, selling on an airline’s website has been crucial to driving the transition to direct distribution. Although sales through airline websites will continue to see growth, selling via smart phones is set to become an almost equally important sales channel in the future.

Nine out of ten airlines are planning to sell tickets via mobile phones by 2015, establishing mobile as a mainstream distribution channel for airline tickets. Growing from zero just a few years ago, mobile phones as a distribution channel are expected to generate significant growth in years to come.

Kiosks will continue to play a significant role, with ¾ of airlines increasing the number of check-in kiosks. When it comes to new functionality, however, opinions are split. About half of the respondents do not plan to deploy kiosks for flight transfer or lost baggage reporting. Only 39% of airlines believe kiosks will remain one of the dominant channels to process passengers in the future, highlighting that mobile phones and websites are set to play a more important role for passenger operations in the long-term.

Nine out of ten airlines plan to engage with passengers through mobiles by 2015, and the adoption of new services provided on mobile phones is speeding up. Airlines believe that smart phones can support most, if not all, customer facing interactions including customer service, commerce, in-flight entertainment and passenger processing.

Realise the potential of next generation passenger connectivity

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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ARINC are offering airlines the next generation of passenger connectivity and personal electronic device support with their product Cabin Connect.

ARINC work in partnership with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband solution to deliver enhanced bandwidth so that airline passengers can now surf the internet, send and receive email, and use universal messaging all through their own portable electronic device, be that laptop, tablet computer e.g. iPad or Playbook, smart phone or portable gaming devices.

ARINC Cabin Connect SwiftBroadband

ARINC Cabin Connect SwiftBroadband

Alongside this ARINC offer AirCrew connect, a solution offering cabin crew connectivity to allow crew to become more efficient and offer a better level of customer service to passengers inflight. Cabin crew can now act as a concierge service for those important passengers, can collect real time CRM data as well as active fault finding and reporting. Anything that can be done on paper can now be logged and sent while inflight, allowing airlines to enjoy increased operational efficiencies.

Thanks to AirCrew Connect it is also possible to do real time fault finding, providing increased efficiencies as any issues with the IFE or onboard systems can either be remedied in flight (dependent upon the airline’s IFE hardware provider) or engineers can be booked to be waiting on stand for the aircraft to arrive at its destination, thus decreasing the amount of downtime the airframe requires.

Supporting various commercial models, ARINC can work with airlines to find the best unique solution to offer to your passengers and crew, creating differentiation and increased value that can help to promote passenger loyalty.

To find out more about the service please visit the ARINC Cabin Connect website.

CommutAir Picks ARINC For Passenger Security Reporting

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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CommutAir has chosen the ARINC AviNet Global Data Network Solution to transmit crew Advance Passenger Information to ensure adherence with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) passenger reporting requirements. The new proprietary reporting guidelines were created by CBSA in response to privacy and data quality concerns.

CommutAir said it selected ARINC to create a customized solution that would comply with CBSA’s new Data Acquisition Solution guidelines. On behalf of the carrier, ARINC will perform the required message format and communications protocol conversion to meet CBSA guidelines.

CommutAir is headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont with operations centered in Cleveland, Ohio and Newark, New Jersey. The company provides regular flights into Toronto and between more than 20 cities throughout the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S.

ARINC can examine the aviation messaging needs of any aviation user, and make a quick check of potential savings easily available through an online calculator. ARINC says “We understand Type B messaging better than anyone. That’s why we’ve developed a consultancy service to help you understand it too. Use our message calculator tool to gain an immediate idea of the size of your potential saving and then contact us to confirm the numbers”.

The online calculator can be found at: ARINC Type B Check

Airbus corporate jet on display at Africa Aerospace & Defence Show

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Today we heard from Flight Global that Airbus will be exhibiting one of its corporate jet models in South Africa.

The appearance at the South African show, will also mean Airbus is on the way to demonstrating its corporate aircraft range in every continent this year, save for Australasia and Antarctica, the largest ever geographical spread in a year for the airframer.

The company’s most recent destination was the LABACE business aviation show in São Paulo, Brazil, where it had an ACJ318 operated by Global Jet on display. It will tick off its final continent for the year, North America, when it attends the National Business Aviation Association convention in Florida at the end of October.

So far this year it has taken orders for a “handful” of its ACJ aircraft, Airbus says, while declining to give a specific tally.

The need for physical security systems in aviation and beyond

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Before airport security hit the headline after 9/11 airport perimeters were unsecured, tarmac access was policed poorly and employees often passed off “secure” identification amongst themselves when they lost or forgot their IDs.

With the outsourcing of most airport functions there are significant numbers of transient employees on site at airports, with access to all areas.

Apart from the risks of large numbers of employees there are risks posed by the general public. This month we heard that a stranded jet skier in Jamaica Bay adjacent to JFK International Airport in New York City climbed an eight-foot high perimeter fence, crossed two runways and arrived soaking wet at a Delta Air Lines terminal.

So we need to look at how to protect key infrastructure, such as airports. ARINC provides a product known as PSIM (Physical Security Information Management) for such eventualities.

ARINC security systems are designed to meet today’s needs for protecting critical infrastructure, while providing inherent flexibility to accommodate tomorrow’s challenges as well. ARINC delivers a combined and comprehensive suite of security solutions to applications, by field-proven engineering, management staff, and PMI-based project management expertise to deliver mission-critical security systems around the world.

The ARINC Advanced Information Management (AIM) security solution is a flexible and scalable command and control integrated platform for mission critical facilities and key infrastructure. Based on industry standards and open-system architecture, its systems integration capabilities and highly reliable command-and-control software enable a wide range of security technologies and functionality to be incorporated into a fully managed, cost-effective, and scalable solutions.

For more information please visit the PSIM website.

Bad weather costs commercial aviation $27 billion

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that 70% of all aviation delays are caused by weather events, costing the U.S. $27 billion in lost productivity annually.

With two-thirds of these delays preventable with better flight planning, the public and private sector are working together to improve how air traffic controllers and pilots identify and manage weather.

The FAA’s Next Generation (NextGen) air traffic control modernization program has already begun to improve the National Airspace System and transform the way we fly. NextGen is moving aircraft navigation from traditional ground-based radar systems to a global constellation of satellites and upgrading air traffic communications infrastructure to enhance real-time data availability and enable effective collaboration through information sharing.

For business jet owners and operators flight planning for weather events can be challenging. Balancing cost and service is a necessary part of business aviation. Flight support and flight planning services, such as those offered by ARINC direct are invaluable.

As an FAA QICP-certified weather provider, ARINC Direct offers a multitude of services—including a wide array of text products and hundreds of prognostic charts and animations with the most detailed weather data customised to operational needs with both real-time and forecast weather charts, including U.S. NEXRAD and worldwide radar and satellite imagery.

For more information on how ARINC Direct can help business aviation users balance cost with exceptional service please visit the ARINC Direct Flight Support page.

E-Borders, 150,000 Illegal Immigrants & Airline Responsibilities

August 21, 2012
Business Aviation News
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This week we heard that the Border Agency currently has a backlog of 276,000 immigration cases and private companies are tendering for the contract to deal with them.

Business Aviation News - Border Management Solutions

Business Aviation News – Border Management Solutions

It is a sad fact that a third of immigrant overstay in the UK. Passenger records held in the e-borders database, which covers details of all flights outside Europe to and from Britain, will be checked and there will be careful monitoring of the 100 immigrants whose visas expire daily.

MPs sitting on the Commons Home Affairs Committee said the UK has become a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ for migrants, a country where it is ‘easy to get in, but impossible to keep track of everyone, let alone get them out.’

So what part do the airlines play in prevention of this problem?

The legal responsibilities of airline carriers are found in the migration laws and regulations of the state that grants those rights to land. All carriers must therefore be familiar with, and comply with, a wide range of legislation and regulations relating to national border control procedure and admittance.

This is detailed in Annex 9 of ICAO’s Convention on Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention which covers the obligations on Carriers and states regarding the Facilitation of people and implementation of Border Control.

Having effective and harmonised guidelines to deal with:

•the communication of advance passenger information

•improperly documented travelers

•the denial of boarding to potential asylum-seekers

•and arrangements in regard to inadmissible passengers who are in transit

are important for airlines and airports to meet their obligations and provide the highest levels of customer service, as well as keep control of operational costs of staff and IT systems incurred as a result of new security requirements and mandates.

An effective solution for airlines?

The ARINC Border Management System is designed to adapt to the changes in operational process and support new technology, enabling Border Control agencies to flex with changing demands and capabilities.

Today it is not enough to simply secure borders from unauthorised entry by known undesirables. Now it is necessary to manage the stay of travellers, from entry through to exit, to know who has been in the country and when they left.

The ARINC Border Management System delivers a full stay management capability, screening all travellers before they travel, and managing visitors throughout their stay.

The ARINC Border Management system is a role-based system, managing entry and exit processes, and improving traveller flow at the primary line. The system supports secondary line investigative processes, enabling immigration, customs and other agencies to co-ordinate resources for a holistic view on potential threats.

For more information please visit ARINC Border Management Solutions

Largest private jet deal in history

August 21, 2012
Business Aviation News
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We recently saw reported on Flight Global that fractional ownership provider NetJets has placed orders that could end up totalling $9.6 billion with Bombardier and Cessna for up to 425 new private jets.

If all options are exercised, the deal could ultimately comprise up to 275 Bombardier Challenger aircraft, and up to 150 Cessna Citation Latitudes.

The deal includes firm orders for 100 Bombardier jets, comprising 75 Challenger 300s, with deliveries to start in 2014, and 25 Challenger 605s, with deliveries to begin in 2015, said Bombardier in a statement.

Business Avition News - Largest Private Jet Deal

© Bombardier

The Bombardier deal includes an after market support agreement for up to 15 years, which could end up being worth $820 million. It will see Bombardier provide scheduled and unscheduled line and heavy maintenance support for NetJets’ Challenger 300 and 605 Series aircraft.

The Cessna component of the deal includes firm orders for 25 Cessna Citation Latitudes, with deliveries to commence in 2016, and options for 125 more.

NetJets added that the purchase is part of its 10-year business plan, which includes continuous renew of its 725 strong fleet of aircraft.

Airlines Need to Invest in Passenger Communications

August 21, 2012
Business Aviation News
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It was recently reported that only a quarter of passengers satisfied with on-board wifi services. A study from FlightView found that despite the increase in uptake of services by airlines just 28% of passengers were satisfied with their service.

So how can airlines offer a better service to their passengers?

ARINC Direct offers a series of solutions for business aviation owners and operators with this very problem in mind. With ARINC in-flight broadband you can deliver solutions to promote passenger loyalty. Integrated satellite services allow you to offer your passengers easy-to-use products based on Inmarsat or Iridium satellite communications services, allowing passengers to stay connected.

ARINC Direct’s Satellite Services offer reliable, cost-effective, voice and data services for your aircraft whenever and wherever you may fly.

Passenger Communications - Satellite Communications

Passenger Communications – Satellite Communications

For voice communications the ARINC business aviation services keep passengers connected with the ability to make calls, send and receive faxes, and stay online anywhere in the world.For the full range of passenger communications services offered by ARINC direct please visit the ARINC Direct Flight Support site.