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Tag Archives: aviation communications

Upgrades to Mandalay Airport Approved

July 29, 2014
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Complex Airport Infrastructure Improvements ProvidersPlans and proposals to upgrade Mandalay Airport have now been submitted to the Myanmar Investment Commission after receiving government approval last week.

Formal talks have been concluded and the agreement is to upgrade the airport to a logistics hub, requiring improvements to airport infrastructure, physical development and promotion of local airlines. Mitsubishi-Jalux and SPA Project Management won the project tender last year and will upgrade and manage the country’s second-largest airport once completed.

Infrastructure upgrades to airport operations involve a full-scale overhaul of messaging environments to allow maximum operational productivity both in the air and on the ground. Today, web-based messaging platforms give airports greater flexibility and can assist with streamlining both operations and costs.

To operate on a truly global scale, Mandalay Airport will benefit from the liberalisation of economic regulations and strengthening of air linkages between the country and other parts of Asia, Europe and the USA.

New Pilatus PC-24 with Avionics to Support Graphical Flight Planning

July 13, 2014
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PC24 with Graphical Flight Planning - Find Out More...Pilatus have announced that the new PC-24 business jet is ready to be rolled out, expecting to make its first flight before the end of the year.

The stunning new jet will be fitted with a Honeywell Primus Apex flight deck, branded as the Pilatus Advanced Cockpit Environment and will support graphical flight planning on a moving map displayed on one of the four impressive 12-inch displays. The cockpit will also feature an integrated navigation data service (INDS) for the iPad, supporting the paperless cockpit initiative.

Already, the Pilatus PC-24 has received 84 orders, causing a temporary suspension of new bookings with all projected delivery positions now taken from the end of 2017 to the end of 2019.  As the program continues, the company plan to reopen the order books for the $8.9 million aircraft for 2020.

The aircraft combines the performance of a light jet with the range and size of a midsized aircraft and seats up to 10 passengers in a commuter figuration or six to eight in an executive arrangement with options to remove seats to create a larger baggage compartment.

Certification from Europe and the U.S. will be planned for 2017.

Private Jet Travel Could Save Companies Money Over Commercial

July 11, 2014
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Private Jet Travel Communications for PassengersA delve into the travel arrangements of companies over the past few years has revealed that many corporations could save money over the long-term by using private jet travel over regular commercial flights.

It is not the first method of travel that springs to the mind of a company director when sending employees to other parts of the country to business meetings, yet when taken as a cost-measuring exercise, the results can be surprising.

There are four main modes of private jet transport:

  • Charter
  • Fractional Ownership
  • Jet Card
  • Ownership

Many large corporations do operate, own and run private jets for business purposes. Private jets are not always available for general employees, yet the savings are there to be made.

Taking travel time, airport processing time and flight hours into consideration for a group of employees can add up quickly when using commercial airlines. The time reduction for a business charter flight is significant and when weighed against the ‘down time’ of the employees travelling on commercial airlines, considering the additional passenger connectivity options for business jets, actual work hours can be greatly increased.

Charter flight is perfect for companies that fly employees less than 25 hours per year on a flexible schedule or are headquartered near a major metropolitan centre.

Jet cards are sold in minimum denominations of 25 hours and are ideal for companies that send employees on business trips that involve a stay of longer than 24 hours (no round trip options).

Fractional ownership of a jet means buying segments at a minimum of 50 hours. This option is perfect for those companies that use private jets, but do not want the running costs on their accounts.

If your company measures costs for off-site business meetings, it is easy to see that private jets and the business aviation sector can offer a solution that can spell long-term savings. Business travellers can meet the needs of the company far more effectively when travelling using business aviation – the cost is not measured simply by the price of the seat.

 

Phones & Laptops Must be Switched On for UK Airport Security

July 11, 2014
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Phones & Laptops Included in Heightened Airport Security MeasuresThe Department of Transport in the UK has expanded upon tightened airport security measures issued earlier this month as they now urge passengers to make sure that mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices are charged up and ready to be switched on during routine security checks.

Passengers who are unable to comply with the requests may face having devices confiscated under the new rules. The move has been taken following advice from the US after airport security risk was escalated to ‘substantial’ – meaning there is a ‘strong possibility’ of attack from terrorists. Fears arise from intelligence information that terrorist groups could build bomb components from non-metal substances that would be undetected with airport security scanning devices.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport said, “The UK government keeps aviation security under constant review in conjunction with international partners and the aviation industry. On 2 July we announced we were stepping up some of our aviation security measures. In line with the US advice, passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft.”

“Passengers flying into or out of the UK are therefore advised to make sure electronic devices being carried in their hand luggage are charged before they travel,” he added.

Although the government have promised to keep disruption to a minimum, they also stress that public safety remains paramount. Airport security have not confirmed which routes may be affected.

Aviation Messaging Solution Improves Communications

July 10, 2014
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Understand Complex Aviation MessagingAviation messaging involves a complex system of communications across many different mediums and the support infrastructure can become cluttered, difficult to understand and expensive.

Earlier this month, Canada underwent a completion of safety and efficiency enhancements with the implementation of Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). The introduction of CPDLC offers controllers and pilots the opportunity to communicate over data link or text-type messages rather than voice.

“Miscommunication is a common air safety issue, but there is much less chance of error when both the flight crew and the controller have the ability to communicate using standardized text messaging. With data link there is no need to read-back and hear-back instructions, which often need to be repeated several times due to poor radio reception or voice quality due to static interference and poor reception.” said Rudy Kellar, Executive Vice President, Service Delivery.

Aviation messaging consultants can assist airlines and operators with understanding, simplification and cost-saving with CPDLC and other critical messaging solutions. Type B messaging within aviation environments can streamline processes both in the air and on the ground, minimising delays and increasing operational productivity.

ARINC Passenger Reconciliation System Live in Sao Paulo

July 9, 2014
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Passenger Reconciliation Systems ProvidersSao Paulo International Airport (GRU) is undergoing a big change to their passenger reconciliation system as Rockwell Collins implement its leading ARINC VeriPax system. Although the entire installation is in progress, the first phase of the project went live ahead of the 2014 World Cup tournament on June 12.

ARINC VeriPax reads boarding passes using automated security screening with 2D barcode scanners and checks passengers against flight information in real time. The system has streamlined the entire process of check-in and has already proved its worth with the attendance of elevated numbers of passengers for the World Cup tournament, speeding up the passenger screening process at security checkpoints.

“Hosting the 2014 World Cup has brought soccer fans from around the world to Brazil so we needed a solution that would provide our passengers with a better, faster check-in experience,” said chief information officer for GRU, Luiz Eduardo Ritzmann. “By automating the screening process, we believe that VeriPax has enabled us to improve GRU’s passenger flow by 15 to 20%.”

Although the ARINC VeriPax solution is utilised in some of the world’s busiest airports, and has been since 2009, GRU is the first airport in South America to use the bar-coded boarding pass gates and the VeriPax solution. The new security screening system is currently in use in the airport’s new terminal 3, but will soon go live in subsequent phases planned for terminals 1, 2 and 4.

“We’re proud to be playing a critical role in making GRU one of the most modern airports in the world in terms of passenger processing capabilities,” said staff vice president of airport systems, Information Management Services for Rockwell Collins, Michael Picco. ”This program marks yet another key milestone in our commitment to invest and grow in Brazil. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with GRU and other airports throughout the country.”

ARINC, Developers of ACARS, Suggest Technology Exists to Improve Aircraft Tracking

July 9, 2014
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Providers of Aviation Messaging SystemsARINC Inc, acquired last year by Aeronautics giant, Rockwell Collins, developed and introduced ACARS messaging during the earliest years of commercial flight and insist that the technology is available today for real-time aircraft tracking. The debate continues in the wake of the tragic disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370, now into the fourth month with no news.

In-flight connectivity providers and satellite companies are currently competing for business with Inmarsat, the British satellite company that provided additional information about the ill-fated flight and Iridium both supporting flight deck communications and aircraft tracking solutions as they have done for years.

More than 300 airlines and 15,000 aircraft have relied upon the industry-standard ACARS and ARINC GLOBALink for mission critical transmissions. Rockwell Collins’ CEO, Kelly Ortberg said, “We may have to write some software, we may have to do some different things; upgrade the aircraft to implement this capability, but we don’t need to invest in new technology.”

With VHF datalink extending throughout Central and North America, most of Europe and Asia, Inmarsat’s satellite network providing coverage to expand VHF capability to encompass real-time data reporting and weather updates and Iridium’s network reaching the remote oceanic expanses and Polar Regions, it is clear that the technology is indeed available to bring global coverage within reach of the world’s airlines and operators.

Aviation messaging is under scrutiny at the moment, particularly by IATA and ICAO, who are working together to investigate the options for airlines in terms of global tracking to avoid another MH370 crisis at all costs.

Cabin Electronics for Business Passengers

July 9, 2014
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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.

FAA Certification for Bombardier Challenger 350

July 7, 2014
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Bombardier's Challenger 350 Business JetBombardier’s Challenger 350 business jet received full type certification from the FAA last month, marking a key step in the journey to entry-into-service for the luxury aircraft.

Stéphane Leblanc, Challenger Programs, Bombardier Business Aircraft vice president and general manager said that the aircraft has been “Designed with the feedback from existing Challenger aircraft owners and operators”, adding that the “New aircraft will meet their ever-growing needs. We are looking forward to delivering this segment leading aircraft and are confident that our customers will love it.”

Following certification, NetJets Inc unveiled their new Challenger 350 at the Westchester County Airport, N.Y. with Bombardier Business Aircraft president, Eric Martel presenting the ceremonial keys to NetJets chairman and CEO Jordan Hansell. NetJets will add eight jets to their fleet this year.

“The addition of the Challenger 350 aircraft to our fleet is a significant step in NetJets’ continued growth, and clearly demonstrates our commitment to provide NetJets customers with the most state-of-the-art aircraft models in the industry,” said Hansell. “This is the first of up to 200 Challenger 350 aircraft that we have on order from Bombardier over the next 10 years. We worked very closely with Bombardier to deliver an aircraft that exceeds our customers’ needs by providing the highest levels of safety, comfort and convenience.”

NetJets have made private aviation history with their purchases of $17.6 billion in aircraft since 2010 for their Signature Series. So far they have received 38 jets from various manufacturers.