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King Air SwiftBroadband SATCOM Solution

August 12, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other SwiftBroadband SATCOM Solutions ProvidersKing Air will soon be installing its SwiftBroadband SATCOM solution with installers Cobham SATCOM receiving Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval from Brazilian Administración Nacional de Avianción Civil (ANAC).

King Air models B200, B200C and B300 (Super King Air 350) will receive access to an extensive range of communications abilities with built-in WiFi options.

The aircraft will receive Cobham’s AVIATOR 200, a compact, lightweight system with the reliability of SwiftBroadband, Inmarsat’s 200 service. With speeds of up to 200 kbps and a single ABME 2 channel for voice calls, the King Air aircraft will be fully connected.

Kevin Harriman, Pro Star Aviation General Manager, said, “The AVIATOR 200 is the perfect choice for King Air operators as it offers the ideal broadband and voice solution and is small and lighter than other solutions. It is practical and affordable, and, with reduced hardware and installation costs, the AVIATOR 200 is everything you need to stay connected.”

Kim Gram, Vice President Aeronautical Business Unit, Cobham SATCOM, said, “The AVIATOR 200 offers in-flight broadband communication to aircraft of virtually any size as it utilizes a low gain antenna. We are particularly pleased to add the Brazilian approval to the FAA and EASA STCs already developed with Pro Star for King Air. This is a world-wide solution which can now benefit many more people. It represents another key step forward in enabling more users to take advantage of modern in-flight communications in the South America region.”

Other Inmarsat SwiftBroadband SATCOM providers, such as ARINC, can offer business jet operators seamless global connectivity with its unique partnership with the Iridium satellite networks.

Duncan Aviation Break Milestone 500 In-flight Broadband Systems

August 4, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Business Aircraft Broadband ProvidersEchoing an industry-wide sentiment, Mike Minchow, Completions and Modifications Manager for Duncan Aviation said, “There is strong market demand for products that increase the productivity of business aircraft. Wireless internet certainly filled a need for business aviation, and Aircell has been a leader in that market. On-board Wi-Fi has completely transformed the travel experience, allowing operators to be much more efficient in the air and allowing for a true office-in-the-sky experience. Combining the benefits of our Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) and multiple locations, we’re able to offer owners a great deal of flexibility as well as the confidence that their aircraft is in the care of the most experienced technicians in the industry and a company known for its service and support”.

He spoke after Duncan Aviation reached a milestone 500 installations of in-flight broadband solutions, such as SwiftBroadband and Aircell GoGo Biz.

Business aviation passengers rate amongst the highest in terms of demand for in-flight broadband solutions, requiring seamless connections over long-range flights. The office-in-the-sky advantages for travellers needs include email, video conferencing, phone calls and fax operation, to name but a few. Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and Iridium solutions, such as those provided by ARINC Direct, can mean that there is no loss of signal, even when flying over vast oceanic expanses or Polar Regions.

Cabin Electronics for Business Passengers

July 9, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Business Passengers Enjoy Full ConnectivityBusiness passengers demand high levels of cabin electronics these days to enable them to work as effectively in the air as they can on the ground. The most highly sought-after commodities being aircraft internet, high-speed connections to download presentations and business documents and the ability to research and access email accounts.

In addition, however, there is also an increasing requirement for ambient lighting, charging facilities for phones and tablets, HD flat screen TV, video and in-flight entertainment features.

In an ever-changing marketplace, it is almost impossible to keep up with the technology; the solutions to these requirements getting faster, more sophisticated and with higher-quality connections.

ARINC Direct stay ahead of the competition with seamless connectivity for business passengers via satellite communications from Inmarsat and Iridium networks. High-speed and high-quality connections offer a truly global coverage with flight tracking capabilities that are also increasing in demand in the wake of the tragic disappearance of flight MH370.

Business passengers travel in comfort and can continue to work effectively with scalable cabin electronics solutions from ARINC Direct.

Cabin Services to be Outsourced by Finnair

July 8, 2014
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Other Cabin Services ProvidersTo help reduce operational costs, Finland airline, Finnair has announced its decision to outsource cabin services for 20 long and short-haul flights over the next two years. It is not yet clear about the related impact this will have upon current personnel.

This is not breaking news, as Finnair have been finalising cost-saving measures since March, particularly in the area of cabin services. Finnair has had a cost reduction program in place since 2011, aiming to reduce operational expenses by 18 million EUR. The options include personnel reductions including redundancy, temporary lay-off, hours reductions or a combination of all these options. The cabin services outsourcing plan will go ahead and will be trialled in order to determine the best course of action moving forward for the airline. Finnair will also examine the cost implications of setting up a subsidiary to take over the cabin services functions.

Ville Iho, Chief Operating Officer for Finnair made the following statement, “Finnair has once more met with representatives of the Finnish Cabin Crew Union (SLSY) in an effort to find a common cost reduction solution that would make it possible to avoid outsourcing. SLSY offered 2.9 million EUR in permanent, instant savings, as well as 4.8 million EUR savings that would be achieved within a 20-year time period. This is mainly the same as SLSY’s previous offer. In addition, as a new element, SLSY proposed approximately 4 million EUR temporary savings for a period of one year. In exchange, SLSY required two year protection against lay-offs. Unfortunately, this is too far from the savings that Finnair requires. We cannot continue with our current cost structure, which is why we need to make instant, permanent changes to it. We proposed a solution that would see 12 million EUR of the cost reductions implemented immediately and the remaining 6 million EUR over a longer period of time. Even this compromise did not lead to an agreement.

He added that partnership negotiations for outsourcing are proceeding well, with potential partners in Finland, Europe and Asia. No rushed decisions will be made and careful negotiation and planning will be ensured.

Aircraft Internet Demand Drives up Revenues

May 13, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other Aircraft Internet ProvidersAs the demands for aircraft internet rise amongst passengers, in-flight WiFi communications providers are beginning to see a rise in revenue with Gogo Inc reporting an increase of 35% for the first quarter of this year, amounting to $95.7 million.

“We have proven our leadership in bringing more bandwidth to any aircraft type no matter where it flies,” said Michael Small, Gogo CEO. “In addition Gogo has uniquely positioned itself as a full-service communications provider to the global aviation industry. There’s a sensational demand for connectivity on every face of the earth,” he said. “It’s not surprising that it’s the same demand in the air too.”

Business passengers have had high expectations of aircraft connectivity for some time, according to business aviation providers, ARINC Direct. Faster broadband speeds and global connections are essential for the ‘office-in-the-sky’ needs and competitiveness in the business sector is rising as more operators strive for better services for their passengers.

4G Broadband for Business Aviation Connectivity

May 1, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Broadband for Business Aviation ConnectivityBusiness aviation connectivity is set for an upgrade next year with faster in-flight broadband speeds promised by Honeywell and AT&T. Honeywell have announced that they will be providing the hardware for a new 4G network service from AT&T that could potentially, based upon current capabilities, offer download speeds ranging from 16.65 to 66.11 Mbps and upload speeds of 7.43 Mbps.

These speeds could enable business aviation passengers to watch video, text and Internet surf in addition to the data messaging benefits for flight deck communications and cabin services.

Using the new Ka-band GX aviation service, these speeds promise to be the fastest to date.

Honeywell will provide the hardware, including antennas, for access to the network and will be developed to work with the Inmarsat L-band and new Global Xpress Ka-band satellite networks, giving connectivity the chance to stretch its legs beyond the continental U.S.

Business aviation currently enjoys global connectivity with other providers, such as ViaSat’s Yonder service and ARINC Direct’s range of passenger and cabin communications solutions.

Global Business Environment Encouraged by Language Training for Cabin Crew

April 8, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Cabin Services Providers for Enhanced Passenger ExperienceCabin services are set to be enhanced for global business awareness as Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways announced a partnership with EF Education First to provide language training via a cloud-based school.

The plans come in the wake of the recently-released corporate strategy for the airline as it plans to increase passenger operations by 45% over the next two years. Global expansion is a key factor and ANA believe that highly-trained and prepared personnel can contribute to their plans.

ANA was last year awarded the Skytrax 5-star Airline ranking for the quality of cabin services, airport operations and enhancements to the service provided for international passengers.

President and CEO of ANA, Osamu Shinobe has high hopes for his airline, ‘As a full service carrier that is aiming to become the world’s leading airline, we want to further enhance the level of service that is provided by our employees. EF has an excellent track record in providing quality language training programs and this partnership will boost our improvement efforts. I have high expectations that this partnership will lead to even better services for our customers.’

President of EF Education First, Mr Peter Burmann said, ‘We are extremely proud to partner with ANA and support them in reaching their English goals. Our industry-specific expertise makes us well-suited to deliver the necessary customised training to ANA and we are looking forward to starting the training and seeing outstanding results.’

Aircraft Internet Possibilities Widened by Ka-Band

April 7, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Aircraft Internet to Go Beyond Passenger CommunicationsExpanding communications bandwidth may soon broaden the horizons for aircraft internet that pass way beyond passenger connectivity. With increasing computer technology, greater bandwidth and storage capacity, the ability for aircraft to use data sharing and facilitate decision-making with web-based applications brings it all a step closer.

Inmarsat, a British satellite network operator, is a huge name already in aviation, using the far-reaching capabilities of the network for aircraft communications in L-band services. Honeywell is currently working with Inmarsat on the development of the avionics for the new generation of Global Xpress satellites that will operate in Ka-band. Ka-band will bring faster data rates and widen the possibilities for streaming and allowing operators to think ahead of passenger communications.

Honeywell have completed the critical design reviews for Global Xpress and will begin testing this month. The first of three Inmarsat-5 satellites was launched late last year and the rest are expected to be in place by early next year.

European Certifications for Gogo’s Aircell In-flight Entertainment

March 26, 2014
Business Aviation News
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In-Flight Entertainment via Inmarsat SwiftBroadbandGogo company, Aircell are pleased to announce EASA certification for the installation of their in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems for Bombardier Challenger 300 business aircraft.

EASA has awarded Supplemental Type Certificates (STC’s) for their Aviator 300 and UCS 5000 systems. Aviator 400 brings Internet, email and voice applications for both passengers and crew using Inmarsat SwiftBroadband.

UCS 5000, introduced in October last year, gives the industry the first all-in-one router and media server and offers passengers seamless access to in-flight entertainment plus brings router functionality in one box. Passengers will have access to Gogo Vision; an IFE service with a comprehensive library of on-demand movies and TV, in addition to news, weather updates and flight information.

Rockwell Collins Launch Personal Tablet Mount for Venue Cabin Management System

March 12, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Cabin Management TechnologyRockwell Collins, recent acquirers of ARINC Inc, today unveiled the latest innovation in personal tablet use. Their new side-ledge arm personal tablet mount is designed to work with the Venue Cabin Management System.

The new mount means that passengers with iPads and Galaxy tabs will be able to easily mount, charge and operate their personal tablets onboard, integrating with the latest in-flight entertainment system. This is great news for the ever-increasing numbers of passengers carrying personal tablets.

“With Venue, we’re creating a cabin experience that’s tailored to best suit its passengers,” said vice president and general manager, Flight Controls and Information Systems for Rockwell Collins, Greg Irmen. “Our new mount enables passengers to seamlessly integrate their personal tablets into the cabin setting and more comfortably enjoy their own content.”

Rockwell Collins offer apps that integrate with the cabin management system, such as Airshow, which displays an interactive moving map and real-time flight information. Also, they can offer Cabin Remote, which allows control of the cabin environment.

The new personal tablet mounts are available now for use in cabins equipped with the Venue system and allows Skybox passengers access to current onboard digital content.