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In Flight Broadband – Good or Bad?

February 26, 2013
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Cabin ConnectIn the news again and again are the developments for inflight broadband. Some passenger groups hail it as an essential, other just see it as a rip off. One news report this week suggested that supply outweighed demand – but no commercial airline or private jet wants to be left behind the times.

This week we heard that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order implementing Ku-band rules for the operation of satellite earth stations on aircraft enhancing competition and promote the widespread availability of Internet access to aircraft passengers – potentially starting the rise of low cost wifi on airplanes.

Providers to the aviation industry often differentiate their products by aircraft wifi for business aviation, and in flight wifi for commercial airlines.

Up until now, L-band licenses (1-2GHz) could be obtained from the FCC to offer connectivity to airborne aircraft over Mobile Satellite Services (MSS). The new rules will allow the FCC to process ESAA applications up to 50% faster and will speed the deployment of ubiquitous airborne broadband services, including Internet access.

Airlines Around the World Feeling The Squeeze

February 23, 2013
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This month we have heard another story of airline struggling to deal with costs. Chanchangi airline has said that high cost of aviation fuel in Nigeria is a huge setback for domestic airline operations.

Airlines now have to look at every aspect of their business in order to balance the books. There are lots of areas that you can make cut backs but using route optimisation as a part of flight planning is one, and getting a good deal on aviation messaging is another.

But even with these basics in place fuel remains crippling. Using a contract fuel supplier will help – but this year at the Avalon air show Australia showcased aviation biofuels as the roadmap for the future. More on that story later…

Australian aviation biofuels showcased at Avalon

Australian aviation biofuels showcased at Avalon – picture courtesy of ABC

Operators required to retrofit aircraft with VDLM2/ATN capable avionics

February 18, 2013
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Critical Aviation Communications (CPDLC)

Critical Aviation Communications (CPDLC)

The European Commission (EC) has published a framework for the adoption of VDLM2 for CPDLC communications in the form of a Data Link Services Implementing Rule (DLS IR). By this time next year airline operators will be required to retrofit their aircraft with VDLM2/ATN capable avionics, in order to comply with the DLS IR.

The DLS IR legislature is already coming into play – as of 1 January 2011, all new aircraft operating above Flight Level (FL) 285 to be delivered with a compliant system and as of 7 February 2013 the ten core European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) will need to have implemented a compliant CPDLC ground infrastructure.

Assistance with compliance is essential and ARINC is ne of the suppliers that have publicised details of how they can help your airline become compliant with the new legislation.

ARINC has taken an active role in supporting industry bodies, airframe and avionics manufacturers, ANSPs, and operators, in ensuring that the benefits of the new technology are maximised for the Air Transport Industry. In this context the role of ARINC will evolve from a traditional DataLink Service Provider to an industry partner with years of experience and a history of quality customer support. To see dedicated information regarding this service please see the ARINC CPDLC site.

Air Astana Renews ARINC’s Type B Messaging & AviNet Airport Service

February 5, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Type B Messaging Services

Type B Messaging Services

Kazakhstan’s national airline, Air Astana, have renewed and extended its contract for ARINC’s Type B Messaging and AviNet Airport service. ARINC will now provide a complete connectivity and messaging platform for the airline’s airport applications. The first carrier from Russia, Eastern Europe  Kazakhstan’s national airline, Air Astana was recently awarded the prestigious 4-star rating, Skytrax World Airline Awards and named ‘Best Airline in South and Central Asia’.

“As Central Asia’s leading carrier, Air Astana recognises the critical role that connectivity plays in maintaining the very highest standards of operational efficiency and service. ARINC has proved to be an outstandingly reliable and responsive partner in the provision of advanced airline IT solutions over many years and I’m delighted to be renewing and extending the scope of our agreement,” said Chamindra Lenawa, vice president IT and E-business, Air Astana JSC.

ARINC’s market-leading AviNet Messaging is an intuitive solution that uses the internet to provide low cost access to IATA Type B Messaging from anywhere in the world from any computer. Together with ARINC’s extremely resilient network, this meets the air transport industry’s need for high-performance messaging and networking, with the core network operating at 99.999% availability. Integrated with ARINC’s MUSE platform, AviNet Airport provide a fully managed reliable service for Air Astana, the service usually be in operational within 10 working days from the date of order, has an attractive Service Level Agreements (SLAs), pricing, and support.

For more information on ARINCs Type B Messaging Service please visit the ARINC AviNet site.

AviNet® Mail Enterprise Hub Launched by ARINC

January 23, 2013
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ARINC have announced the launch of ARINC AviNet® Mail Enterprise Hub (eHub) a New Cloud Based Messaging Service for the Air Transport Community. eHub is a multi-user web-based service that gives the aviation industry a solid messaging environment for all of their communications needs.

Alexis Hickox, Senior Director, Aviation Solutions of ARINC EMEA said “As a hosted solution that is fully managed by ARINC, the entire aviation community now has the benefit of using the industry’s leading messaging service in a secure, reliable and cost-effective manner,” and continued “With its advanced functionality, eHub truly represents the next generation messaging hub for the air transport industry.”

eHub has been designed to be easily configured for either a single user or a global user with multiple divisions and departments with varying messaging requirements. Giving users a single interface that supports the full complement of the aviation industry’s messaging formats and protocols including XML, Type X, Type B, SMTP, X400, Fax and SMS. eHub supports multiple languages. Unlike other comparable systems, eHub performs Type B to SMS message delivery.

It offers simple user message management and includes free internal and local message routing, reducing costs to the customer, building on the System as a Service (SaaS) model.

Relaxation for In-Flight Wi-Fi rules from FCC

January 21, 2013
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The Federal Communications Commission is moving to ease restrictions on Internet use in commercial airlines as the agency attempts to enhance competition in the mobile telecommunications market and help speed the deployment of Internet services onboard aircraft. Airlines will be able to test systems that meet FCC standards, establish that they do not interfere with aircraft systems and receive FAA approval.

Rather than having to license on-board systems that provide in-flight wifi on an ad hoc basis, airlines will be able to test systems that meet FCC standards, establish that they do not interfere with aircraft systems and get FAA approval. An FCC statement explained “By reducing administrative burdens on both applicants and the Commission, the new rules should allow the Commission to process ESAA applications up to 50 percent faster, enhancing competition in an important sector of the mobile telecommunications market in the United States and promoting the widespread availability of Internet access to aircraft passengers.

While the FCC is working to speed up deployment of aircraft Wi-Fi systems in airplanes, an airplane manufacturer is also testing on improvements on wireless signals in airplane cabins, making it possible for passengers to enjoy more reliable connectivity when using networked personal electronic devices in the air.

The satellite antenna will carry the signal to and from the aircraft, and mobile technologies such as Wi-Fi will provide communications within the aircraft’s hull. In addition to promoting the economic growth and job-creating impacts of inflight broadband, the action also continues the FCC’s efforts to update and streamline regulatory requirements across the agency.

SITA enables seamless datalink in UK-Ireland

January 19, 2013
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UK and Irish airspace will shortly have a seamless data link service as a result of UK NATS and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) working together with SITA to deliver Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) services to the British and Irish area control centers.

The SITA service and systems support long haul and short haul versions of CPDLC. Long haul aircraft use a Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) version already implemented over the Atlantic Ocean. Aircraft with FANS systems will now use the SITA network and gateway to communicate with CPDLC systems in the UK and Ireland domestic centers.

Other providers of CPDLC have also hit the headlines recently, including ARINC who now offer a compliance service for airlines.

Military Communications Advances

January 18, 2013
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Russia sent three military communications satellites into orbit this month aboard a converted ballistic missile launched, marking the first space launch of 2013.

The Rockot launch vehicle lifted off at 1625 GMT on a two-hour mission to put three military communications satellites in an orbit 900 miles above Earth.

The Rockot is a modified two-stage missile built to deliver nuclear payloads to distant targets.

Mission Critical Military Communications

Mission Critical Military Communications

The mission was the first space launch of 2013, and it marked the first use of a Breeze upper stage since a similar vehicle ran into trouble during the launch of a Proton rocket in December.

The Proton rocket, which launches commercial communications satellites with the Breeze M upper stage variant, has been grounded since a Dec. 8 launch left Russia’s Yamal 402 spacecraft in the wrong orbit.

Military communications across the globe continue to advance and grow with providers such as ISR offering specialist services for the industry.

Ground realism for Aviation industry

January 17, 2013
Business Aviation News
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It is feared that almost all Indian carriers are in the red, serving one of the world’s fastest growing economies and registered unprecedented growth in traffic. Indian aviation is the ninth largest market in the world and significantly contributed to business, trade and tourism growth in the past decade.

The transportation sector has been impacted by several factors including high operating costs fuelled by high oil and tax cost, cash crunch and soaring debts. Being one of the most important growth in any economy, and air travel has become a necessity and no longer a luxury.

The saving of sales tax on import of ATF is an attractive proposition for airlines. However, they have to use the existing infrastructure of the oil marketing companies (OMC). As India is an ATF-surplus country, direct import by airlines would necessitate finding new export markets for the OMC’s surplus stock. The sector looks toward the Government for tax rationalisation, which most of them believe would be enough for them to soar again, and fuel the growth of the world’s most promising economy.

“ATF pricing mechanism is based on import parity with a black box which currently includes irrational elements and tax on taxes. If a person travels by road or rail, he is using highly subsidised infrastructure or subsidised electricity/ diesel, thereby making a much larger hole in the exchequer. We are only requesting rationalisation of taxes,” says G.P. Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer, SpiceJet.

Passenger Service Fee and User Development Fee, collected on behalf of the Airports Authority of India, suffer service tax thereby pushing up ticket cost, which has outpaced the spending power of customers. According to Gupta, “A major portion of aviation losses is attributable to high taxation.” It is not just the tax, but also the tax on tax which becomes excruciating! For example, several airport operators charge fuel throughput fees from the OMCs. This throughput charge plus service tax forms part of the ATF cost on which sales tax is charged by OMCs, leading to a cascading tax effect.

Passenger Service Fee and User Development Fee, collected on behalf of the Airports Authority of India, suffer service tax thereby pushing up ticket cost, which has outpaced the spending power of customers.