Government to fast-track proposal for FDI in aviation

May 28, 2012
Business Aviation News
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The fast track proposal to allow foreign airlines to invest in domestic airlines by the Government ended its Parliament session on May 22. In January 2012 that the Ministry for Civil Aviation announced a “broad consensus” in the Government on allowing foreign airlines to acquire an up to 49 per cent stake in domestic airlines. However, the proposal is yet to be approved by the Government.

When the sector was first opened in the early 1990s, the Government allowed foreign airlines to invest in domestic airlines.

It is rumoured that a number of domestic airlines have informally approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation, seeking that the proposal be pushed through at the earliest.

Besides, a number of global private equity funds that traditionally have a stake in several leading international airlines have also been making discreet inquiries from the Ministry on the issue. Official sources said that foreign investment in Indian carriers is being given a thrust right now because most domestic airlines are bleeding and banks in India are reluctant to fund most of them. So, there are only a few options left to keep them afloat. Even as the Government starts the process of implementing a change in policy, there has been a steady stream of chief executive officers and owners of global airlines visiting the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Each proposal by a foreign airline will have to be cleared by the inter-ministerial Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). With the Ministry of Home being a part of FIPB, any proposal considered against India’s security interests will be blocked, officials said.

In Focus – In Flight Broadband

May 28, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Last week we saw the BBC cover this topic in depth.

Onboard internet has been a reality for a while, but not many passengers use it at present, because of a mix of limited availability, speed and cost.

As interest in onboard wifi increases in line with the popularity of mobile devices we heard that Inmarsat plans to launch three new ka-band satellites into orbit in the coming years, with the first in 2013.

Onboard internet is delivered by various methods. In Ka-band passengers are offered a higher speed, and the antennas required for the aircraft are smaller, but the service is vulnerable to bad weather conditions, and fewer satellites are available. In Ku-band there are more satellites but frequency and spend is reduced.

ARINC are one supplier that offers aircraft internet services to the aviation industry. Branded as Cabin Connect they are able to offer enhanced bandwidth by Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and ARIN. Airline passengers can now surf the internet, send and receive email, and use universal messaging all through their own laptop, iPad or Playbook, smart phone or portable gaming devices.

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

Contact ARINC Cabin Connect to find out more.

Aircraft Broadband - Passenger Communications

Vietnam aviation experts see growth potential

May 24, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Keeping up with the theme of international aviation we turn to Vietnam. An increase in foreign airlines, new routes & increased frequency of flights to Vietnam caused the sector to grow 14% last year.International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani is reported to have told one publisher that by 2014, the country would have become the third largest market for international passenger and cargo transport after China and Brazil.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance has decided to slash a number of service fees with the highest reduction at up to 50 per cent for the first airlines to open air routes to Viet Nam and for those that engage in operating air transport for the first time, and in May Finnair officially declared its presence in Vietnam.

Other airlines have continued to increase their flights and open new routes to Vietnam.

Business Aviation Growth Potential

Business Aviation Growth Potential

 

EU/US Passenger Name Records Debate

May 24, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Yet again this month we heard about the on-going debate between the EU and US on passenger name records.

The agreement allows US authorities access to data collected by airlines including passenger names, addresses, credit card details and seat numbers. There are provisions in the agreement limiting the use of PNR, and individuals will have the right to access their data, to have incorrect data corrected and the right to redress under the agreement.

Passenger name records and Advance Passenger Information (API) is obligatory in the USA and all EU member states. The information must be sent to the destination country’s border security department for effective border management. Failure to supply API can land airlines with fines of up to $5,000.

For the business aviation market cost effective solutions that fully comply are a must. ARINC offers a cost effective and reliable solution, called AviSec Messaging.

AviSec offers airlines Advanced Passenger Information & Passenger Name Records (PNR) systems to allow them to comply with current regulation and implement air transport security measures.

ARINC processes 25 million messages each day – over 50% of the world’s operational Type B traffic. For more information please visit: avisec-messaging.com

AviSec Messaging - Passenger Name Records

AviSec Messaging – Passenger Name Records

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ARINC Contract Renewed by Tan Son Nhat International Airport

May 24, 2012
Business Aviation News
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This month we heard that Tan Son Nhat International Airport has asked ARINC to continue their contract to provide maintenance and support services for its passenger processing systems. Multiple products are in place there including the common use system, which processes passengers faster and more efficiently by sharing airport infrastructure and resources

“We are very pleased to renew our maintenance contract with ARINC,” said Mr. Tran Van Thang, Deputy General Director of the former SAC. “They have provided us with an exceptional level of support, and our customers, including the airlines and ground handling companies have given us very positive feedback on system performance.”

ARINC offers a multitude of multi user system environment solutions for passenger processing at airports.  vMUSE Enterprise, the latest version of ARINC’s well-known MUSE® (Multi-User System Environment) common use platform, combines the security and reliability of vMUSE with advanced virtualisation technology to provide seamless, multi-airline check-in without having to install and manage on-site servers and platform software.

For more information please visit: www.vmuse-enterprise.com

Virtual airport common use systems

Virtual airport common use systems

Dubai business aviation show will be 10% bigger than 2010

May 23, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Dubai business aviation show will be 10% bigger than 2010

Dubai business aviation show will be 10% bigger than 2010

This December the business aviation industry will join together for the MEBA at the new Dubai World Central airport.

Organisers the Middle East Business Aviation Association and Fairs & Exhibitions are confident that the exhibition will be 10% bigger than the last one in 2010. The 2012 show will be held in the DWC passenger terminal – currently unused, as the airport is handling only freight traffic – but will move in 2014 to a purpose-built exhibition hall at DWC that will be open in time for the Dubai air show in November 2013.

We also heard that the MEBAA will launch the first of a series of regional forums – effectively mini-MEBAs – in Beirut in April 2013. MEBAA hopes to follow the Beirut forum with similar events in Marrakesh, in Morocco; Amman, in Jordan and Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.

Focus on Type B Messaging

May 23, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Focus on Type B Messaging

Focus on Type B Messaging

This week I wanted to look at aviation Type B Messaging. Type B messages are kept short using a series of codes depicting the message type and contain certain application data in specific places within the message. The IATA specified standards are so efficient that the 20 million daily messages would fit on a home use memory stick.

Whilst the standard has not changed for some time, the technology we use to send Type B Messages constantly evolves. We heard this week that the latest Esterline PilotView EFB has launched a new processor and is approved for real-time ACARS messaging over VHF-based and satellite services.

For business aviation users, Type B Messaging can be a complex and expensive area of mission critical messaging. ARINC offer a unique service to calculate your Type B Messaging costs using a simple online calculator.

ARINC says: “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.”

For more information please visit: www.typebcheck.com

Technology Leaps Ahead in Flight Decks

May 23, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Technology Leaps Ahead in Flight Decks

Technology Leaps Ahead in Flight Decks

This week we heard about the release of the Garmin® G5000 Flight Deck for Learjet 70 and Learjet 75. This is one of many examples of how quickly aviation technology and tools for flight planning and flight operations evolves.

The Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft cockpits feature high-resolution, wide aspect ratio displays with a multi-pane display capability. Primary flight information can be displayed to both the pilot and co-pilot along with four other viewing windows capable of showing moving maps, charts, checklists, aircraft system synoptics pages, TAWS, TCAS, flight planning information, live weather radar and other broadcast weather products.

Flight planning tools and flight deck data communications are areas that required to utmost accuracy and reliability. The current market leader in these areas is ARINC, ARINC Direct serves the business aviation community with the latest advances in technology, with unsurpassed reliability whilst being mindful of commercial constraints faced by business jet owners and operators.

For more information of the range of flight planning services available please visit:  www.business-flight-support.com

ARINC Direct Flight Planning via iPad

May 23, 2012
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Direct Flight Planning via iPad

ARINC Direct Flight Planning via iPad

Everyday technology is increasingly seen in aviation now, and this has moved another step further ahead with ARINC’s push towards flight planning and flight operations technology being available through the iPad.

Since October ARINC have been offering parts of their service via iPad, and functionality has been increasing as pilots move away from the traditional pen and paper.

James Hardie, director of ARINC Direct’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific operation, says 50% of the roughly 2,500 subscription holders for the service have logged in with iPads in the past month.

The latest software version provides annotation capability to the iPads, allowing pilots to update certain documents during a flight and automatically send PDF versions to the operations centre or other location upon landing.

ARINC Direct offer flight planning technology to business aviation users across the world. For more information on their full range of services please visit: www.business-flight-planning.com

Focus on e-Borders – Electronic Border Management Systems

May 22, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Electronic borders have been regularly in the news over the last few months and years so I wanted to do a focus on what they have to offer both individuals and airlines. The UK Home office wants to implement e-borders to improve border security by screening travel document information (TDI), otherwise known as Advance Passenger Information (API), on people travelling to, and from, the UK. Already routinely submitted by airlines this data can be used both for border security and has the potential to deliver improvements to migration and population statistics.

e-Borders works by taking biographical TDI (API) of passengers and crew members via their air, sea or rail carrier prior to travel either into or out of the UK. TDI is the biographical data on a travel document i.e. name, date of birth, nationality, gender, travel document type, state of issue, number and expiry date. The information is provided electronically to e-Borders by the airlines, who are legally responsible for collecting the data.

Airline Responsibility

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.

Having effective and harmonised guidelines to deal with the communication of advance passenger information, improperly documented travellers, 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.

Border Management Systems

There are a wide variety of border management systems available. The ARINC Border Management System is designed to adapt to operational changes new technology, enabling quick integration with new Border Control agencies demands and requirements.

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

Affordability?

All airlines, but especially those in business aviation need to consider cost in addition to effectiveness.  The complete ABMS solution features an adaptable platform to protect your investment long term and the flexibility of a local, distributed, or cloud configuration. For more information please visit: www.electronicborders.com

ARINC Electronic Border Management System

ARINC Electronic Border Management System