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Hamad International Airport, Qatar Installs Automated Border Clearance Technology

October 13, 2013
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Automated Border ClearanceHamad International Airport in the State of Qatar has awarded a contract for 64 e-Gates, equipped with Automated Border Clearance Biometrics to be integrated into the infrastructure of the airport operations.

The technology, including face, fingerprint and iris recognition biometrics will bring enhanced automated border clearance, speeding up passenger processing and streamlining operations at the airport.

Vision-Box, who has been awarded the contract are honoured to be a part of the implementation of the state-of-the-art systems.  “The Middle-East is a market that continues to show enormous potential, where we have invested for some years now and we look forward to further contribute to the various on-going Identity Management programs, as well as supporting the different GCC initiatives in similar projects, by continuously investing in local resources” said Jean-François Lennon, Director of International Business Development at Vision-Box.

Automated Border Clearance Systems are in operation across the globe and can greatly improve operations within the terminal buildings, helping passengers and airport staff with the streamlining of procedures, which before could be exhaustive both physically and operationally.

Other eBorders providers, such as ARINC Inc, bring enhanced automated border clearance technology solutions, including automated baggage handling, self-service kiosks for check-in and bag drop and advanced passenger information systems for the delivery of vital and often mandatory passenger data.

ARINC vMUSE Solution Implemented at RAK

October 10, 2013
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vmuse solutionsARINC has announced the completion of its implementation of vMUSE Common Use Passenger Processing Solution at Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.

Ras Al Khaimah, literally meaning ‘the top of the tent’ shares a border with Oman and its International Airport is seeing increasing numbers of passenger throughflow steadily each year.  The airport has been undergoing an expansion plan and ARINC’s technological solutions will help to bring the airport greater efficiency and will optimise capacity.

Chairman of RAK International Airport, H.H. Engr. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, said: “We have continuously delivered on all of our promises for this year, including the current expansion phase which is already seeing the airport receive a steadily increasing number of passengers. We are confident that the ARINC systems will make us a hi-tech, efficient and integrated airport.  We are already pioneering several firsts and ARINC is the right partner who has embraced the concept of taking the airport out into the wider Ras Al Khaimah, the resorts, hotels and the city.”

ARINC vMUSE solutions bring virtualisation technology into the equation and provide multiple airline check-in facilities that do not require multiple check in desks.  The space saving benefits can be realised immediately in smaller airports, allowing for reduced operational costs, up-front capital expenditure and the near elimination of on-site infrastructure spending.

Ras Al Khaimah is now planning the next step in their expansion as they plan to offer remote check-in and self-service bag drop facilities.  ARINC’s technology will play an important part in the plan.

German-based Spherus Aviation to Develop Business Aviation in Nigeria

October 4, 2013
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Germany-based Spherus Aviation, a leading business aviation firm from Hannover, has scheduled a follow-up trip to Nigeria with a view to developing business aviation in the country.

In a bid to drum up enthusiasm, the company has been encouraging Nigerian clients and extolling the virtues of the charter and management of private aircraft, showcasing business jets.

In partnership with Cita-Triax Aviation, a Nigerian-based company, Spherus is committed to improving and expanding Nigeria’s business aviation industry.

“On this trip, we are participating in the Oil &and Gas expo in Abuja and will be offering advice and support to clients at the Cessna/Bell stand with Robert Prentise of Africa air Inc. We will present our latest Special Management Model Turnkey solution to potential Nigerian business aviation clients who may be government officials, business leaders and high net worth individuals that value their time in meeting up with their appointments using a private long range shuttle with maximum comfort and guarantee of safety, ” said Mr Sebastian Kester, MD of Spherus Aviation.

Spherus Aviation is the first Nigerian-owned business aviation operator to work successfully in Europe and will bring European aviation standards into Nigeria.  It is hoped that the development of business in Nigeria will encourage the continuation of direct foreign investment into the country.

Private Jet in Atlanta More Economical than Commercial Flight

October 2, 2013
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Peachtree Aviation have been looking at private jet flight in Atlanta versus commercial and have concluded that often it can be more economical to rent a private jet if you have a group of people to transport.

James Barber, CEO of Peachtree Aviation said, “Flying commercially is often a major time sink and this can cost you dearly when you have high productivity costs.”

In the business world, hiring a private jet is more likely to reduce the costs per person when you compare the price with the individual purchase of multiple commercial seats for a team of employees.  Add that to the time saved overall per employee and the real savings can be significant.

Mr Barber goes on to say, “When you factor in the time you have to waste going through a commercial airport’s security lines, the wait for the plane, the extended boarding period and then the time it takes you to get your luggage after the flight, you can end up saving several hours of productivity time per person.”

Peachtree Aviation offers private jet charter in Atlanta.

 

Quebec Airport Management System Implemented for Type B Messaging and Data Transformation

October 1, 2013
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Jean-Lesange International Airport in Quebec will become the first to implement SITA’s Aviation Operational Statistics (AOS) Data Transformation Service, which will help to integrate data from multiple airlines into the airport management system, used for comprehensive operations and critical Type B messaging.

This will allow the airport to process all operational messaging figures including passenger count and load figures and will provide airport management high quality data to enhance real-time decision making.

In turn, airport resources can be managed more effectively, allocating ground-handlers to busy slots in advance, using type b messaging data to streamline operations and minimise ground delays during inclement weather or unforeseen delays to arrival and departure times.

Type B messaging is an essential part of airport operations and is used industry-wide for the delivery of thousands of messages on a daily basis.  Many airports use a consultancy service to find the best solutions for cost-effectivity and enhanced productivity in this way.  ARINC Type B consultancy service offers comprehensive analysis of type b messaging systems to enable airports and operations maximum streamlining with the best solutions available.

NextGen Implementation of Data Link Moves Forward at Aviation Week

September 29, 2013
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data linkThe Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will move the aviation industry forward with the implementation of advanced data link communications by 2020.

At Aviation Week, hosted in Washington, leaders from airlines, industry providers and government agencies held discussions and shared critical facts and data in order to reinforce the implementation of the future of air travel with the proposed data link mandates.

At the show, the NextGen Showcase was aimed to help airlines find the right providers, simplifying the selection process and highlighting where the smartest investments in technology would lie.

The showcase was all about imparting the industry with the changing rules within NextGen, making sure that advances in technology in the cockpit can be embraced and used to their full potential as NextGen approaches.

NextGen will help to improve safety with data link communications, in addition to creating more fuel efficient routes, less congestion and increased operability solutions for airlines.

Industry leading data link providers bring many solutions to the table, with retrofit avionics, data link packages and cost effective innovations, such as ARINC’s HFDL solution.

Data link technology is widely used in today’s busy skies, helping to create a safe and secure airspace across the globe.  NextGen will reinforce the use of data link communications with the issue of mandatory rules and specific routes for carriers of data link.

By 2020 data link communications mandates will be imposed under regulatory conditions.  Air carriers are advised to look at the possibilities now, for retrofitting.  All new aircraft off the production line are being fitted with data link technology in preparation.

ARINC & PowerTrunk Partnership to Upgrade GLOBALink Ground Radio at LAX

September 24, 2013
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GlobalinkLos Angeles International Airport (LAX) have been using ARINC’s GLOBALink ground radio services since 2001 for the delivery of mission critical messaging information to airline passenger services, ground handlers and security teams, ground support staff and airline ramp personnel.

ARINC has partnered with PowerTrunk, a subsidiary company of Teltronic, who design, manufacture and implement digital and analog land mobile radio on a global scale.  Together, they will install Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) as a part of the ARINC GLOBALink upgrade for mission critical transmissions of airline and ground-based communications.  This will be the first North American deployment of the TETRA technology in the industry of aviation.

“TETRA is an ideal communications technology for airport and airline use,” said Carlos Fernandez, VP of Business Development for PowerTrunk. “It uniquely combines telephone-like voice and data services with dynamically configurable group call capability in a single, privately operated radio network platform”.

The TETRA platform will bring improved voice clarity and RF spectrum efficiency with multiple conversations capability.  ARINC leads the way with the recently approved TETRA platform, testing new products and operational behaviour in a fully functional demonstration environment.

“We are pleased to provide our valued customers at LAX with the latest technology which is currently deployed for airports and airlines globally,” said John Monto, Director, Radio Technology Solutions at ARINC. “We believe this upgrade, and the associated benefits it brings for ground communications, will enable ARINC’s customers at LAX to get their jobs done in a more timely and efficient manner.”

Revised Format of NOTAMs by the FAA

September 20, 2013
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notams

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.

airports physical security

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.