Revised Format of NOTAMs by the FAA

September 20, 2013
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In a bid to harmonize the US system of NOTAMs with the ICAO standards, a new and revised format of the delivery of NOTAMs is expected on 1st October.

Improvements will include the definition of numbers to removed the ‘guesswork’ when it comes to units of measurement in the case of FT, LB & NM.  Altitudes will be defined with upper and lower limits and changes to the usability of runways and declared distances will be clear.

The changes come as a part of the 2012 Pilot’s Bill of Rights, which has highlighted and authorized the improvements to the NOTAMs system in the US.  Pilots will be able to access necessary information about their route of flight, prioritizing will filters in alignment with their flight profile.

Field Condition (FICON) NOTAMs will be listed amongst the biggest changes.  Pilots and flight crews will be able to file a Pilot Reported FICON with a list of runway contaminants reportable in the situation of an unmonitored field.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) have an active role in the evaluation of the current NOTAMs system and the recommendation of improvements as a member of the RTCA Tactical Operations Committee.  Another goal is to introduce an improved, user-friendly format for the system delivery of NOTAMs, enabling access with tablets and smart phone technology.

Burmese Airports Physical Security Upgrades

September 19, 2013
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The demands placed upon the aviation industry in Burma are increasing year on year as passenger numbers continue to rise with the volume of cargo.  This has led to a direct need for upgraded airports physical security in the region of Myanmar’s busiest airports – Yangon, Mandalay, Nyanung U, Heho, Thandwe and Dawei.

Airport physical security is one issue for improvement, and to satisfy the ICAO safety standards, some of the named airports are scheduled for the installation of a new air traffic control system.

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Projects and contracts have been awarded to Sumitomo Corporation, Toshiba, Morita and the NEC Group to provide equipment for the improvement of the safety standards.

There will be Doppler VHF radio range beacons, distance measuring equipment, aeronautical lighting systems, communications control units and flight procedure design systems.  Physical security equipment, such as intruder and explosive detection systems will also be installed.

The project will enhance safety and security within the region and will allow for an expansion of capacity enabling the airports to handle more passengers with minimal delays.

The funding for this project has been the result of an agreement between the government of Myanmar and the Japanese government and a grant was issued by Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Enhanced airport capacity is a requirement that is spreading around the world.  As more and more passengers take to the air each year, the need for greater border control and physical security is inevitable.  Providers such as ARINC take airport physical security into the next generation with their suite of solutions.

Heathrow Tackle Delays with Electronic Border Management Solutions

September 19, 2013
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Electronic Border Management Solutions ProvidersAll over the world, airports have been wrestling with the notoriously difficult and time-consuming aspects of inner-terminal processes – departures.  The entire check-in process is laborious and exhausting for both passengers and airport staff and is the biggest cause of ground delays, queuing time and missed revenue.

It has to be said that the introduction of electronic border management solutions has made leaps and bounds on the road to improving this procedure.  Online check-in and bag drop kiosks are helping to streamline the check-in process and is bringing down waiting times.

London Heathrow has led the way in this field for a number of years, being the first to trial self-service check-in operations and multiple airline baggage handling and check-in solutions.  Passenger processing is fast-becoming ultra-efficient, reducing waiting times and significantly improving the entire experience for both passengers and airlines.

Mark Walker, Heathrow Airports Leader of the Passenger Processing Program says, “We’ve been taking quite a rigorous approach to exploring what good ideas we’ve got in-house or with our airlines, or indeed with industry best practices that are emerging, trialling some of those to really understand whether it is what our passengers want here at Heathrow, and then selectively deploying those technologies.”

Electronic Border Management encompass not just check-in and baggage handling, but also Advanced Passenger Information System solutions to allow government departments access to critical passenger data ahead of the scheduled departure.  Border Control Agencies are then able to spot high-risk passengers and expedite low-risk passengers, which also helps to streamline the process of check-in and boarding, minimising the risk of ground-delays.

Airport Information Infrastructure System at Al Maktoum, Dubai

September 18, 2013
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In a move towards the NextGen Airport Operations System initiative, Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central has awarded the contract for a comprehensive airport information infrastructure system to Dubai Technology Partners LLC and UFIS Airport Solutions.

The critical solution will help in the interim during the work involved in the implementation of the NextGen initiative and will reinforce the airport information infrastructure for Dubai Airports.

The first passenger terminal, due to open in October of this year, will have the capacity for over 5 million passengers annually, with that figure expected to rise to 160 million passengers per year upon its completion within the next 10 years.

The contract includes implementation of Flight Information Processing System, Resource Management System, Airport Operational Database and Flight Information Display System.

Integrated airport information infrastructure encompasses flight information and passenger data through to perimeter security solutions and vehicle identification.  Industry leading providers of advanced information management, such as ARINC, offer a complete suite of solutions for airport information infrastructure with its innovative ARINC AIM.

ARINC AIM gives facilities across the world cost-efficient solution for access management, physical security and airport information infrastructure management.

EU Parliament Vote to Put Safety First in Aviation

September 17, 2013
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Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers all over the European Union today welcome the Parliamentarian decision to vote positively on the new Occurrence Reporting Regulation.

The agreement about improvements to current procedures for the reporting of incidents regarding aviation safety is supported by the European Parliament Transport Committee and sets the scene for a new framework to strengthen air safety across Europe.

The Transport Committee wanted to ensure that pilots and air traffic controllers are protected when reporting mistakes and that the information they provide is not misused or misrepresented.

“Europe’s airline pilots and air traffic controllers warmly welcome the adoption of this report”, said Nico Voorbach, President of the ECA. “The pro-safety stance developed by the EP rapporteur Mrs de Veyrac – and vigorously supported by her colleagues within the Transport Committee is remarkable. A true safety culture is one that recognizes that it can always improve. MEP’s have understood this and introduced valuable improvements to an already good proposal by the EU Commission.”

ARINC Begin Work on Data Communications Network Services Portion of NextGen

September 17, 2013
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Data Communications Network Services The data communications network services (DCNS) forms an essential portion of the FAA’s NextGen initiative, which will help to reduce congestion of the airways over the busiest global cities, improve flight safety and increase the efficiency of real-time communications with the replacement of voice with digital data transmissions.

The data communications network services contract is a portion of the 7 year, $150 million that was awarded to the Harris Corporation last month.  The entire contract for data communications integrated services, of which DCNS is a part, was awarded last September to Harris.

ARINC is providing data communications network services under DCNS that will assist the FAA with the integration of its end-to-end data communications system.  ARINC’s services will include the enabling of Communications Service Provider (CSP) network access and the provision of professional services for test, engineering integration and implementation of DCNS into the Data Communications System.

ARINC and the FAA go back a long way, with a working relationship that has been in place for over 50 years.  The industry-leading communications providers pioneered the now standard ACARS messaging system and have been involved in data link technology since as early as 1978.

John Belcher, Chairman  & CEO of ARINC Inc said, “Our DCNS work will tackle some of the most crucial issues in the aviation industry—saving fuel, reducing flight times and increasing air traffic capacity. We are proud to be building on our industry-leading legacy by providing solutions that have met the aviation needs of the past and will help solve the challenges of the future.”

First FANS CPDLC Retrofit Certification

September 17, 2013
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It has recently been announced that Chicago Jet Group (CJG) and Universal Avionics has received the first FANS CPDLC Certification after retrofitting a Dassault Mystere Falcon 50 with the CPDLC system over Iridium.

CJG completed the installation of UniLink UL-801 CMU with VHF VDLM2 receiver, which will provide the flight crew with a global voice and datalink channel for ACARS, CPDLC and FANS1/A+ messaging.

“The certification of this integrated retrofit system in the Falcon 50 entitles international operators to utilize the significant time and cost advantages offered by flying FANS preferred airspace. This solution provides a certified FANS system prior to the first mandate of February 5, 2015,” said Mike Mitera, President of the Chicago Jet Group.

cpdlcThe retrofit CPDLC system is now ready for the approaching mandates for NextGen, Eurocontrol Link 2000+ which will require the CPDLC for European airspace.  With aircraft flying frequently in the North Atlantic Track System (NATS), the retrofit will allow access to the most preferred tracks, saving time and fuel on transatlantic flights.

“Universal Avionics proudly recognizes Chicago Jet Group’s efforts, working diligently to achieve the first FANS/CPDLC retrofit STC,” said Bruce Bunevich, Universal Avionics’ Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager. “We will continue to work together to provide NextGen avionics solutions for additional airframes,” he added.

Flight Time Rules Questioned by UK Transport Committee

September 16, 2013
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The EU proposal for flight and duty time regulations has been questioned by the UK Parliamentary Transport Committee this week.

The proposed EASA changes, due to take effect as early as November this year, are an improvement upon the current version, the committee said, but they seem, for the most part to contradict current scientific research.

Concerns were also raised about the controversial low reporting of pilot fatigue.  This will relate directly to the proposal for 11-hour  period of ‘on duty’ for night flights and led the committee to demand that ‘the government seek to ensure scientists have a more central role in further work by EASA as it finalizes its flight-time limitations proposals.’

The Transport Committee have reiterated their concerns that no ‘consensus was reached with pilots and cabin crew.’  The proposals by EASA would give operators the lead to issue duty rotations that will mean up to a third of flights will exceed the current maximum duty period. The UK CAA believes that a more practical limit would be 10-20%.  EASA argue that scheduled flights that would exceed will only be seasonal.

It has been suggested by the UK that the EU come back to the regulations after a two year ‘trial’ period, to assess the effectiveness of the new rules.

The First A320 Family Aircraft to Offer In-flight Wifi Nearing Completion

September 11, 2013
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In-Flight Wifi Service ProvidersThe first A320 family of Airbus, single-aisle jet aircraft to be fitted with the company’s Airline Network Architecture (ALNA v2) will soon roll off the assembly line in Toulouse, France.

The equipment will offer passengers internet access with in-flight Wifi and mobile telephone services in readiness for new relaxed rulings about the use of passenger technology in the air.

The A320 family will join the other Airbus A330, A380 and the new A350 XWB families to be refitted with the ALNA v2 equipment.

In-flight Wifi and GSM offerings are hot property in the aviation industry at the moment, with passenger demand for connectivity growing by the day.  In the business sector and private jets, it is expected, in order for company executives to be able to work as efficiently and effectively in the air as they can in their ground-based offices.

Service providers such as ARINC Direct bring a complete suite of passenger connectivity products to the table of business aviation and offer innovative, cost effective and seamlessly operational solutions to in-flight Wifi, telephone, fax and conference video with their unique Inmarsat and Iridium satellite services.

ARINC Supports New Air Canada Global Operations Center

September 10, 2013
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Advanced Communications Systems Integration Air Canada’s new Global Operations Centre in Brampton, Ontario has received a major communications systems integration completed recently by ARINC.  The state-of-the-art centre will serve as a central control for the every day operations of Air Canada, increasing both operational capabilities and efficiency.

ARINC Managed Services will also provide comprehensive, on-going support for the centre.

The communications systems integration project involved Air Canada’s air-to-ground and ground-to-air communications, system engineering and support services in addition to existing radio maintenance and asset management responsibilities.

“AMS’s system integration and engineering support has been invaluable,” said Catherine Brassard, Senior Director of Operations, Excellence and Continuous Improvement at Air Canada. “We believe the OC will significantly improve Air Canada’s operations and we consider ARINC to be a trusted partner in helping us accomplish this goal.”

ARINC are experts in communications systems integration.  Their work within the industry is legendary.  As there is a shift in the aviation industry to more flexible, web-based communications systems integration, ARINC clearly stand out with their eHub solution.

ARINC eHub offers increased flexibility and cost effective operations with a solution that requires no software downloads or expensive equipment, seamlessly integrating with existing packages, including CUTE systems technology and equipment, accessible from any internet connection and any device.