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British satellite communications company, Inmarsat has announced its intention to deliver high-speed, EU-wide in-flight connectivity with a unique integrated telecommunications network including an order for a new s-band satellite, Europasat.

“We believe that the same in-flight connectivity opportunity exists in Europe and that, with the support of EU telecoms regulators, Inmarsat can rapidly bring to market unique, high speed aviation passenger connectivity services to meet this market demand on an EU-wide basis,” said Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce.

Inmarsat capabilities already include seamless coverage via Global Xpress and will place them ahead of the competition for in-flight connectivity for passengers.

Widespread interest is being shown by major airlines and passengers could soon be looking forward to the same connectivity that is currently only enjoyed by the business aviation community, with the deployment of Europe’s first 4G broadband network.

Currently, the company are working on shared system to reduce initial costs in partnership with Hellas-Sat, a non-competing European satellite operator and Thales Alenia Space for the construction of a satellite on a shared basis. Europasat will also support the next-gen emergency network services for public protection and disaster relief.

The aviation network deployment, planned for the end of 2016, will be enabled by Inmarsat’s current existing authorisation to operate integrated satellite and terrestrial communications in 30MHz of S-band frequencies spanning the 28 Member States of the European Union. The licensing process has already begun with EU member states and Inmarsat has received strong support for its application from a high number of EU telecommunications regulators. It is hoped that a consistent regulatory foundation can be accomplished quickly in order to facilitate the swift implementation of the services for the benefit of businesses and passengers across the EU.

Changi Airport Trial Self Service Bag Drop

June 6, 2014

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Singapore’s Changi Airport is currently trialling self service bag drop and check in desks in a bid to streamline passenger processing services, according to the Changi Airport Group (CAG).

Terminal One will run the trial until the end of August with Jetstar airline and will encompass two bag drop units with self-tagging capability and four check-in kiosks alongside the Jetstar counters for passengers on selected flights.

The airport is exploring ways to improve passenger experience and minimise delays and the pilot program is part of an ongoing trial with the Fast and Seamless Travel at Changi (FAST@Changi) initiative aimed at using the latest technology to improve operational productivity and efficiency.

“The implementation of FAST@Changi is in line with a wider global push towards increasing automation at airports to improve productivity and efficiency, while providing passengers with greater flexibility and convenience,” said Mr Tan Lye Teck, Executive Vice President of Airport Management at CAG.

As more than 80% of global travellers now use online check-in facilities, there is an increase in the need for greater passenger control. Many baggage handling providers offer self-service options including the innovative multiple airlines bagdrop which allows for cost sharing in addition to the valuable terminal space-saving benefits.

Cost-Cutting Continues at Malaysia Airlines

June 5, 2014

Following the disappearance of flight MH370, Malaysia Airlines are suffering from the biggest financial crisis in its 40-year history. The airline had experienced losses for the past three financial years, but was beginning to recover to a break-even point in 2014 until the tragic disappearance occurred. The airline recently released figures that revealed a record $138million loss for the first quarter.

Needless to say, Malaysia Airlines are looking for ways to reduce operational costs if it is to recover and indeed survive for the next 12 months. The company are committed to examining every area of operations in a bid to save money and have a plan in place to implement measures that could bring them to a break-even point in 2015.

This month will see the retirement of the final Boeing 737-400 aircraft in the MAS fleet, being replaced with the more fuel-economic and lower maintenance 737-800s. Also, the airline plan to introduce business class seats with a reconfiguration of the cabin spaces to produce higher revenues and plans for the purchase of Airbus aircraft have been put on hold for the time being.

As competition grows within the industry, airlines all over the world are looking closely at operational spending, and in that respect, MAS are not alone. Both commercial and business carriers can save money in many areas of productivity, including messaging costs, which can run into tens of thousands of individual messages each day. Companies such as ARINC offer consultancy services specifically designed to tailor messaging packages to help airlines to cut costs.

“We have to look at the business model that will allow us to be sustainable over the next 40 years,” said Hugh Dunleavy, MAS director of commercial operations.

100th Anniversary of First Paid Flight & IATA 70 Years Coincide

June 5, 2014

Tony Tyler, current Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) marked the 70th annual general meeting with details of the first commercial flight anniversary this year of 100 years. On Jan 1st, 1914, said Tyler, the first paid flight took place between Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg and lasted 23 minutes.

Modern aviation sees the industry handling 3.3 billion passengers a day, and carrying more than 52 tons of cargo across 50,000 routes within 100,000 flights.

“Today, aviation is the life blood of the global economy. The industry supports over 58 million jobs and $2.4 trillion in annual economic activity,” said Mr Tyler. “Flying brings people together—families, friends and business colleagues. It gives people the freedom to be almost anywhere in just 24 hours. It has turned our wonderfully big planet into a wonderfully small world of enormous and wonderful opportunities.”

He went on to address the challenges that the industry also faces, mentioning the unprecedented loss of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and reiterating the urgent need to improve global tracking capability to ensure that such an incident never happens again.

Mr Tyler also talked about aviation security as a challenge within the industry and across all sectors.

“Airlines help fund global aviation security with taxes and fees costing $8.55 billion a year. Not all of this is even spent on aviation security. And passengers still say that security remains their biggest travel hassle,” he said. “Inconsistencies across jurisdictions defy understanding. The focus on prohibited objects sees law-abiding passengers treated with criminal suspicion. There is waste and inefficiency. We must do a better job.”

IATA are working with the Airports Council International (ACI) to help implement change and to improve effectiveness and efficiency with Smart Security and the use of the latest technology to streamline operations in order to improve passenger experience without compromising security.

As we look at the aviation industry a century after the first commercial flight, we see incredible advancements on a global scale. Mr Tyler said, “Aviation’s greatest contribution is the freedom it gives people to follow their dreams and change their lives. In 100 years we have turned our enormous planet into a small world. In doing so, we have created a very big future for us all.”

STARS Airlines Tunisia Selects ARINC AviNet Mail Solution from Rockwell Collins

It has been announced today by Rockwell Collins that Tunisian Airline, STARS, has selected their ARINC AviNet Mail Enterprise messaging service to provide a cost-effective solution for their messaging requirements for passenger processing and cargo systems messages.

“AviNet Mail Enterprise Hub represents the next generation messaging hub for the air transport industry,” said general manager for STARS Airlines, Chemam Hichem. “With eHub serving as our messaging platform, we have migrated all of our legacy accounts to Rockwell Collins because of its cost effective solution and superior customer service.”

The ARINC AviNet eHub solution is a cloud-based service, requiring no costly internal server installation or software licensing fees and offers free local traffic routing. There are also reduced costs to the customer for infrastructure, training and individual messaging transactions. The solution brings reliable airline operational messaging with tailored plans and IATA compliance.

“eHub has been designed to meet all the IATA standards and customer interface needs, including Type B, XML SMTP, X400, Fax, SMS or even Type X,” said Alexis Hickox, senior director, Aviation Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “With eHub, we’re continuing the drive to reduce operational costs, and at the same time equipping our customers with the ability to embrace future developments in messaging.”

Royal Oman Police Issue Passport Renewal Warning

The Royal Oman Police have issued a warning to citizens wishing to travel abroad to ensure that passports due to expire within the next six months are renewed to avoid problems at their destination airport. At the moment, airlines take only the name of the passenger before the issue of tickets.

This follows repeated complaints from travellers to many countries that refuse to accept passports with less than six months before the expiry time. Although the rules are in place, travellers still neglect to renew, yet still complain.

The upcoming mandates for advance passenger information will soon be in place and passports due to expire will be recognised immediately and ticket issue will be denied in advance. According to official sources, 99% of travel agencies do advise passengers to check the dates of issue and expiry in their passports, but still the problem remains.

Advance passenger information systems are mandatory in the US and this trend is spreading across the globe as aviation security measures tighten. The API system enables governments and border agencies to track and monitor the movement of passengers across the world, and identify high risk passengers in time to perform additional security checks, whilst expediting low risk travellers. The system helps to streamline the passenger processing system and minimises ground delays and associated costs.

Once advance passenger information is in operation, passengers will be required to provide passport as well as personal details before travel. The expectation is that there will be an influx of passport renewals in the Oman, which is likely to cause severe delays within the system. Those wishing to travel are strongly advised to check their passports in advance.

Aviation Access Management Solutions Expansion by Global Elite

Aviation access management solutions are essential to maintain seamless access control within airports and secure facilities and the marketplace welcomes the latest expansion from Global Elite Group (GEG) this week. Secure Swipe is a portable hand-held unit that utilises a bar code, magnetic strip and RFID reader.

“Aviation management requires a critical eye to identify where vulnerabilities are, that must be addressed. Having a unit which tracks and records where workers go will accomplish this goal,” said William McGuire, president & CEO of GEG.

The system, specifically designed for the aviation industry, adds a level of mobile security to a platform that improves basic entry security, including outside entry points with documented activity and serves as a guard tour to record an operator’s location.

Comprehensive aviation security is critical on many levels and access management solutions bring a layer of reliability to monitoring the in and outflow of airport staff. Access management solutions providers can enhance overall operational productivity and help to manage costs within the airport infrastructure.

Airline Messaging Approval Spells Sales Opportunities

The US Department of Transportation’s first level approval of IATA’s plan to update airline messaging standards could mean that it will become easier for airlines to sell ancillary products and services to passengers at the time of booking. IATA’s Resolution 787 is concerned with what they are terming ‘the New Distribution Capability’ (NDC), governed by XML messaging, which will allow airlines to share their merchandise, ‘extras’ and upgrades with agents and other third-party distributors.

The long-awaited XML standard will be welcomed industry-wide for the distribution of the many varied products and services offered by different airlines. Currently, carriers are using a variety of methods to market services such as checked baggage, seats with greater legroom, Wifi and express boarding, for example.

The standard initially received opposition, particularly in the area of data sharing and consumer privacy. IATA addressed many of these concerns at their Annual Meeting last June and filed mutually-agreed conditions to the standards after subsequent discussions with the opposers, who included the Open Allies for Airfare Transparency.

It has also been generally and conditionally agreed that buying and other personal information would only be shared upon permission of the traveller.

Next MEBAC Venue Confirmed as Tunisia

June 3, 2014