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Strong Passenger Traffic Growth in 2014 Says ICAO Report

December 17, 2014
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The Latest Aviation Industry NewsAccording to a preliminary report from the ICAO, an estimated 3.2 billion passengers used air transport in 2014. This shows growth of approximately 5% on last year and demonstrates accuracy in the predictions for the industry as a whole.

Based on the current predictions, we can expect more than 6.4 billion by 2030 as we saw aircraft departures reach 33 million – a new record and beating 2013 figures by around a million flights.

The largest air travel market was the Asia-Pacific region, claiming more than 30% in terms of RPKs. Second was Europe, with a 27% share and third North America with 25%.

Showing the fastest growth, however, was the Middle East at a rate of 12.8%, while African growth was shown at a more modest 1.5%, but is expected to grow stronger this year, particularly in the business aviation sector.

ATTF Report to IATA for Flight Tracking Initiative

December 17, 2014
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A report has been submitted to IATA by the Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF) this week, which will deliver its findings for consideration in the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) development.

Airline Operational Messaging Solutions ProvidersAlthough the contents of the report are not yet public, Tony Tyler, CEO of IATA said that the report ‘recommends that airlines evaluate their current tracking capabilities against the performance criteria and close any gaps within a 12 month time frame.”

According to Mr Tyler, airlines will need to complete phases in order to achieve complete, worldwide aircraft tracking capability:

Short-term – make use of the current capabilities within their fleets and operational areas

Near-term – look at the business case for upgrading equipment to meet performance criteria

Parallel – explore the possibility of making tamper-proof systems with other industry stakeholders and manufacturers

The recommendations included in the report encompass many improvements, particularly within the communications systems, such as Controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) and ACARS to the space-based ADS-B, which, in the long-term is seen as the solution to seamless global aircraft tracking.

With mandatory equipage of these technologies fast approaching within European and Canadian airspace, new aircraft are already seeing these technologies coming as standard onboard installations.

For global tracking to become a certainty, technological capabilities must be installed and a ground-based ADS-B infrastructure is already in place.

“The public should be aware that there is no silver bullet solution on tracking,” said Tyler. “The industry is working to improve, but some issues such as tamper proofing, will take time to address and implement.”

Rockwell Collins’ New ARINCDirect Fully Integrated

December 13, 2014
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Rockwell Collins' ARINCDirect New Features with IntegrationFollowing the introduction of the new ARINCDirect portfolios for cabin services and flight support services at MEBA last month, it is clear that Rockwell Collins have fully integrated the business aviation arm of its empire.

Rockwell Collins’ Ascend Flight Information Solutions division has now been merged with the former ARINC Direct services to create the new Rockwell Collins’ ARINCDirect portfolio, which is a part of the Information Management Services division.

ARINC Direct has held firm the position within the business aviation community and now promises to deliver even greater use of the latest technological developments while holding true to the key ideology of their core business practices which has made them an industry leader over the past decade.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINCDirect highlighted four key technologies at MEBA this year:

  • Integrated weight-and-balance/performance calculations in the improved iPad application
  • A new fuel tankering feature
  • Integration with Rockwell Collins’ Flight Operations System (FOS) software
  • New passenger and flight crew connectivity solutions

Combining the proven flight planning tools and flight support services with Rockwell Collins’ own solutions, the integrated services are now designed to fit every segment of the industry, offering owners and operators flexibility with solutions that can be ‘scalable to fit the mission’ according to Brian Kruger, senior director of the ARINCDirect unit.

Aircraft Tracking via Satellite with ESA Iris Program

December 12, 2014
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Providers of Aircraft Tracking Services for Business AviationThe European Space Agency (ESA) have outlined the Iris program this week in a collaboration with the Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) program, with a view to increasing the efficiency of global aircraft tracking through a satellite-based communications system.

Making improvements to future Air Traffic Management techniques is a key part of the initiative and Iris will potentially leverage a satellite-based system with current VHF ground-based communications systems that may bear the weight of overcrowded airwaves in the near future. It is planned that data link channels and ATM operations will become accessible and give new opportunities for aircraft tracking in a four-dimensional capacity – latitude, longitude, altitude and time. The system is known as 4-D trajectory management and it is hoped that it will be fully accessible by 2018.

In spite of various delays with upgrades to aircraft, the Iris program is designed to dramatically improve communications and bring the increased efficiency to operational productivity that has been sought by airlines, ATM and operators for more than 20 years.

Aircraft tracking via satellite communications will work in real time and use aircraft positioning reports, in addition to the complement of voice communications. Both continental and oceanic airspaces will be reliably covered to give truly global, uninterrupted coverage.

Business aviation enjoys the reliability of real-time aircraft tracking with providers delivering a satellite communications service over a robust system architecture, such as the Rockwell Collins’ ARINCDirect service, which provides seamless coverage via Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and Swift64 in conjunction with Iridium satellite communications. Real-time flight tracking is a sought-after service that is growing in demand, particularly since the disappearance of flight MH370 earlier this year.

As air traffic grows, demand upon the airways increases and the latest technological developments are needed to ensure utmost safety and reliability for all aircraft, both commercial and private.

Inmarsat and Alcatel Partner to Deliver European SATCOM Service

December 9, 2014
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Inmarsat Partner with Alcatel for SATCOM ServicesThe development of a high-speed ‘hybrid’ air-to-ground SATCOM service is being discussed in a new partnership agreement between Alcatel-Lucent and British satellite communications company, Inmarsat this week. The ATG SATCOM service will provide a new telecom network for commercial and business aviation operators throughout Europe and promises to deliver speeds of up to 75 Mbps.

Combining Alcatel’s 4G LTE S-band technology with Inmarsat’s Europasat will offer a new broadband service ‘Europe-wide’. The partnership are collaborating on the ground network and have submitted applications for licenses in all EU member states, 23 of which have already been authorised according to Inmarsat. As yet, no customers or hardware partners have been formally named, but the companies revealed that they are in ongoing discussions.

Leo Mondale, Inmarsat president, said, “These enhanced capabilities across Europe will be offered alongside Inmarsat’s GX aviation services, extending Inmarsat’s broadband service coverage for aviation passengers seamlessly.”

Commercial introduction is expected towards the end of 2016, although field trials have already been conducted of the Alcatel-Lucent system back in 2011.

JetWave SATCOM on Airbus and Boeing Jets to Get Retrofitted by GDC

December 7, 2014
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Providers of Passenger Communications for Business AircraftHoneywell’s JetWave SATCOM systems will be fitted by GDC Technics in an agreement signed in Dubai last weekend for in-service Boeing and Airbus business and commercial aircraft. The system, JetWave, will be available during 2015 and supports the Inmarsat JetConnex (JX) WiFi service, promising to deliver consistent, high-speed inflight connectivity for business aircraft all over the globe.

GDC, Texan-based provider, will develop the STCs for the aircraft, including the Boeing range of business jets and Airbus corporate jets, which will enable the retrofit process to commence. The STCs will also be marketed to other completion centres and will encompass the following aircraft:

  • Airbus A319
  • Airbus A330
  • Airbus A340
  • Boeing 737
  • Boeing 747
  • Boeing 777
  • Boeing 787

Mike Beazley, vice-president of Aftermarket Sales for Business & General Aviation at Honeywell said, “Through this agreement with GDC Technics, Boeing and Airbus operators will soon be able to easily upgrade their aircraft with one of the most advanced and capable in-flight connectivity systems on the market. JetConnex will bring high speed, consistent global in-flight internet connectivity via WiFi to the cockpit and cabin and we expect to see significant demand for the technology, particularly for long haul commercial and business planes flying out of the Middle East.”

The partnership agreement the system will be focussed upon the Ka- and Ku-band, bringing greater bandwidth with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband for flight deck communications requirements.

Mohammed Alzeer, general partner of GDC Technics said, “High speed, consistent in-flight WiFi over land and sea is a technology game-changer for the industry. Through this agreement with Honeywell, bizliners and commercial air transport aircraft around the world will soon be able to access Inmarsat’s JX service.” Continuing, he echoed a sentiment that is widespread in the aviation industry, particularly in the business jet sector, “In today’s always-on society the ability to stay connected while in the air is fast becoming an expectation rather than a nice-to-have, making the JetWave hardware from Honeywell and JX service from Inmarsat an important differentiator for operators.”

Expectation is increasing noticeably in the business jet industry, as more and more executive travellers need the benefits of an ‘office-in-the-sky’ environment.

Brand New ARINCDirect Portfolio Showcase at MEBA by Rockwell Collins

December 7, 2014
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Find Out More About ARINCDirect Flight Support ServicesFollowing its acquisition of ARINC Inc last year, Rockwell Collins have launched a new a re-branded portfolio for its business aviation arm, ARINCDirectSM. The new offerings will be showcased at the upcoming Middle East Business Aviation convention and exhibition (MEBA) this month.

The new ARINCDirectSM portfolio includes a suite of flight support services that consolidates Rockwell Collins’ former Ascend Flight Information SolutionsTM and ARINC Direct services into one solution for flight operations management, regional & international flight support, flight planning and cabin connectivity and it already cited as being the most comprehensive flight support solution for business aviation in the industry.

Some of the ARINCDirectSM services that will be showcased will be:

  • A tankering feature accessible via the ARINCDirectSM customer portal to help manage fuel costs more effectively
  • An extension of the Rockwell Collins’ Flight Operating SystemTM (FOS) with new and improved integration properties
  • The latest in in-flight cabin and crew connectivity
  • An upgrade to the ARINCDirectSM iPad application that provides business aviation pilots with the ability to carry out accurate computations via an integrated weight/balance/performance feature –on or offline

The cabin connectivity features integrate Rockwell Collins’ successful VenueTM system with Airshow Moving MapTM and SkyboxTM, giving business passengers real-time information and IFE on both cabin-mounted and personal devices.

VAT Relief for Foreign Business Aircraft Confirmed by EU

December 4, 2014
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Business Aviation News for EU VAT ReliefThis week terms were clarified for the temporary admission of foreign business aircraft into the EU by a published paper, confirming that conditional VAT relief will be granted.

The move followed requests from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), as many business aircraft operators were uncertain and needed clarification.

IBAC director general, Kurt Edwards, welcomed the paper and said, “This paper issued by the European Commission clearly resolves the confusion. As long as the operator meets the conditions for temporary admission, it can use the process to receive conditional relief from the Value-Added-Tax and Customs Duties obligations and operate to, from and within the EU.”

When a foreign-registered aircraft flies from a non-EU country and conducts flights within the EU, it can be eligible for temporary admission and therefore can claim conditional relief from taxes and duties. Foreign-registered aircraft are still subject to VAT and duty when they are permanently imported.

The latest guidelines from the EU clearly explain the previous confusion and remind operators that these conditions apply only to aircraft that are being flown for private use and do not include commercial carriers.

Rockwell Collins New Mobile Training Solution Gives Weather Data Access

December 2, 2014
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Flight Deck Aviation Weather Data Solutions Today, Rockwell Collins unveiled their latest program that will give pilots, flight line maintenance and service repair technicians access to training solutions on mobile devices.

Amongst the training applications, and one that will be demonstrated this week in Orlando at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, is the Rockwell Collins MultiScan ThreatTrackTM weather radar on a mobile tablet.

Also at the conference, Rockwell Collins will be introducing new capabilities that will allow subscription customers to view and download task-specific training and publications online.

LeAnn Ridgeway, vice-president and general manager of the Simulation and Training solutions for Rockwell Collins acknowledged that people use mobile devices for almost everything they do and said, “This new offering demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with the right content in the right format, when and where they need it. Our new mobile training and publication offerings allow our customers to access, manage, and interact with information as they need it.”

Indira Ghandi International Airport Step Up Physical Security After Bomb Threat

November 30, 2014
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Physical Airport Security Solutions ProvidersLast month security concerns were raised after Indira Ghandi International Airport (IGI) received a bomb threat. Not unused to hoax messages, IGI have taken the threat seriously for many reasons, including the fact that this one arrived just three days after threats were made to bomb flights from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kochi – all three airports were also put on high alert.

The ensuing review revealed areas of vulnerability at IGI, including parts of security fencing that are completely concealed with overgrown, dense foliage. These areas have already twice experienced security breaches in the past year.

Airport physical security has been stepped up, which involve vehicle checks and monitoring, additional personnel on-site and a review of the overgrown areas located behind airport buildings, including the offices of the Airports Authority of India, the Bureau of the Civil Aviation Authority and New Customs House – all of which could be potentially targeted.

All over the world, airports are realising an increasing need for airport physical security measures to be tightened and more securely monitored. The aviation industry as a whole relies upon physical security to ensure that passengers, aircraft and personnel are kept safe at all times, both on the ground and in the air.