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Aviation Weather Systems in the News

January 13, 2012
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We heard this month that IGI Airport will get a new system for better weather prediction. We take a look at this airport and consider the latest weather data systems.

Aviation Weather Systems

Aviation Weather Systems

The Indian Meteorological Department is now acquiring an Aviation Weather Decision Support System (AWDSS) to aid the detection and prediction of aviation weather hazards and communicate minute-wise information to operational users.

The Current system at IGI Airport studies surface atmospheric to predict on fog and wind conditions twice in a day. The new system, which would be in place by next winter, would have a radiometer, a vertical wind profiler, and a terminal weather radar for minute-by-minute vertical profile of the wind movement.

The IMD has set its requirements and an expert company would be finalised through a tendering process by March this year to develop the system for IGIA. The meteorological data under AWDSS would be collected from several sources and integrated to run a series of detection and nowcasting algorithms to be provided to the end-user interface. It will then be used for real-time air traffic control operations as well as the support of operational meteorologist’s work flow.

Weather data is transmitted using a variety of means. One is through ARINC Directs Type B Messaging. AviNet Type B messaging provides reliable and economical messaging for mission-critical communications, including weather data, for the aviation industry.

AviNet Type B provides the highest level of assured message delivery available, based on store-and-forward capabilities and a robust set of IATA standard message routing features built into ARINC’s high-availability message platform. It supports legacy, proprietary, and custom messaging applications, as well as industry-standard IP-based MQ and MATIP formats.

ARINC’s Type B service continues to evolve with the industry while also introducing next-generation messaging standards such as AviNet eXchange a Web Services interface for XML messaging.

And, unlike other providers, ARINC delivers this high performance with a flexible pricing model. AviNet Type B delivers an unbeatable combination of high value and low cost.

For more information please visit: http://www.typebmessaging-avinet.com/

Investigating Common-use Passenger Processing Systems

January 12, 2012
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The choice of common-use passenger processing systems available to airlines and airport operators was significantly broadened four months ago when ARINC’s established vMUSE product achieved CUPPS 1.1 certification.

Common Use Passenger Processing Systems

Common Use Passenger Processing Systems

Endorsed by global organisations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing System) is the key industry standard designed to promote uniformity in passenger processing platforms. Compliance reduces the time, effort and cost associated with deploying individual airline applications for check-in and other functions at the airport.

vMUSE received the CUPPS 1.1 stamp of approval in September 2010 following a successful beta test programme at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and extensive formal compliance testing by renowned independent software validation provider Lufthansa Systems. “Independently proven adherence to the specification will assure the success of CUPPS,” says Lufthansa Systems’ Dietrich Hasselhorn, who oversaw the work. “ARINC’s vMUSE successfully passed compliance testing to prove it can successfully run any airline application written to the CUPPS 1.1 standard.”

ARINC installed the world’s first live operational CUPPS platform at Las Vegas in January 2009. Since then it has handled over 250,000 passengers, successfully running multiple airline applications .

Rob Sutton, ARINC global product manager, worked closely with IATA during development of the CUPPS standard and subsequently on the Las Vegas pilot programme and final certification testing.

“CUPPS is the first joint industry recommended practice to have been backed by IATA, ACI (Airports Council International) and ATA the US Air Transport Association,” he says. “It was formally released in November 2009, though our pilot programme at Las Vegas had been running to the initial CUPPS 1.0 standard since January of that year. Lufthansa Systems completed its testing of vMUSE/CUPPS 1.1 in a single week last March, and we have been offering a completely compliant product to the market for the past four months.”

There is at least one other compliant offering on the market, but Sutton is confident that the prospects for many more vMUSE/CUPPS 1.1 implementations are bright. “vMUSE can support both CUPPS and legacy airline applications simultaneously. If an airport operator chooses vMUSE it is covered for all possible scenarios: whatever the application selected by each individual carrier, the airport can be confident that vMUSE will support it.”

The CUPPS standard continues to evolve. Version 1.2, was agreed in 2010, while Version1.3 , which will be released early this year, will focus on printing, with a particular emphasis on Windows spooling and printing. “We’re already working to apply the new versions to VMUSE,” says Sutton. “CUPPS is the future of passenger processing, and we are determined to keep our products aligned with this industry recommended practice.

For more information visit www.vmuse-enterprise.com.

Safety & Security Forecast 2012

January 11, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Safety & Security Forecast

© Sipa Press/Rex Features

Following the post on Avionics forecast this week we have had a look at the safety and security forecast.

Over the past decade aviation accident numbers have plateaued. This means that forecasting is more difficult. Industry experts have asked us to consider the impact of a shortage of pilots, maintenance engineers and instructors for both specialisations. Combine this with continued pressure on airline profits caused by excess capacity, plus high oil prices, and it seems increasingly likely that there is potential for accident figures to rise.

Other factors in this grim forecast include the atomisation that pilots work with. As they now lack more experience in handling aircraft there is further potential for loss of control in the event of an emergency. It was also noted that training requirements have not been subject to the proportionate level of change as technology.

Bodies such as IATA and the CAA acknowledge these facts.

Regarding security the modernisation of passenger security checks has been promised and improved technologies are in active development, but there is no sign of delivery in the next 12 months.

Indeed, there is a risk the current economic situation will reduce the willingness of government agencies, airports and airlines to invest, pushing improvements further into the future.

The vision of the future may vary according to which security equipment company is describing it, but would involve a passenger walking down a short aisle in which he or she would present a micro chipped passport for automatic scanning, while simultaneously undergoing unobtrusive explosive scanning and biometric identification by facial profiling.

Meanwhile, hand baggage would be fully checked without the need to open it or separate items within it. Finally, if everything tallied, the barrier would drop, allowing the passenger through to airside.

The UK government proposes to replace its “direct and inspect” approach with what it calls an outcome-focused, risk-based approach. The aim is for the aviation industry “to design security processes that deliver specified security outcomes rather than having to follow detailed rules”, says the UK Department for Transport.

All the activity and ideas are certainly a sign of a wish to modernise, but the delivery is not in sight.

Electronic Borders in the News with UK-Ireland Border Deal

January 10, 2012
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Border Management Under The Spotlight

Border Management Under The Spotlight

Border security & Border management systems have been in the news again this month with the new deal between the UK & Ireland to crack down on illegal immigration.

The two countries will share information on visa applications, including fingerprint biometrics. The UK Borders Agency says the deal could create “considerable savings” on removing foreign nationals with no right to stay.

Ultimately there could be joint entry standards and “enhanced electronic border systems”.

The new system will help identify those with no right to enter the so-called common travel area – comprising the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man – before they arrive at the border.

Electronic Border Systems, such as those offered by ARINC are essential for all countries. The ARINC Border Management System (ABMS) offers real time threat protection and is designed to adapt to the changes in operational process and support new technology, enabling Border Control agencies to flex with changing demands and capabilities.

Today it is not enough to simply secure borders from unauthorised entry by known undesirables. Now it is necessary to manage the stay of travellers, from entry through to exit, to know who has been in the country and when they left.

The ARINC Border Management System delivers a full stay management capability, screening all travellers before they travel, and managing visitors throughout their stay.

For more information visit http://www.electronicborders.com/.

Avionics Forecast 2012

January 10, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Pro Line Fusion: procceding at pace

Pro Line Fusion: procceding at pace

As it is January the aviation industry have been making forecasts and predictions on many aspects of the industry.

I read this week in Flight Global an article about the future of avionics. Manufacturers are likely to be avidly incorporating the next generation technology for communications, surveillance and navigation into flight deck technology.

One of the up and coming in this category are Rockwell Collins, as its Pro Line Fusion package goes live.

The Fusion avionics suite, which includes 15in displays, head-up and head-down synthetic vision, graphical flight planning and the industry’s first touch-screen displays on some models, will make its first in-service appearance in Bombardier’s Global Vision flight decks this month.

Fusion packages already in the field by mid-2012 will also have made available an upgrade package that will feature a surface management system (SMS) coupled to the flight management system. SMS will display own-ship position during taxi and includes aural and visual advisories during taxi, take-off, final approach, landing and roll-out. The upgrade will also include a vertical situation display, which gives a side view of the vertical profile in the flight plan or aircraft track.

This is one of many new technologies in this area for 2012 – news of others to follow.

ARINC in talks with Panasonic over Cabin Connect pairings

January 4, 2012
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InFlight Broadband by Cabin Connect
InFlight Broadband by Cabin Connect

Last month we heard that ARINC was teaming up with Panasonic Avionics on offering its new Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-supported in-flight wi-fi solution, Cabin Connect, with some of the IFEC giant’s products.

“We’ve been talking to Panasonic for a long while about different ways that we can work with them. We are really looking at [having] options where we integrate with them. Or there is another option that [sees a] configuration where we connect directly to the satcom so that we can sit alongside the in-flight entertainment,” David Harrold, an executive with Arinc, told ATI at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) conference and exhibition in Seattle.

Unveiled at APEX, Cabin Connect is being billed as a simple connectivity system that allows airlines to easily and inexpensively bring in-flight wi-fi to passengers, since many aircraft already carry the lion’s share of necessary kit or will do so in the future.

At present, SwiftBroadband offers a data transfer rate of up to 432kbps per channel. However, Inmarsat has an upgrade path for the service, which will be implemented at the end of next year and bring the speed to 700kbps.

Arinc, meanwhile, is also “doing a number of things to improve the service”, including compressing the data going through the SwiftBroadband pipe, said Harrold

He added that, on the ground at Arinc’s data centre, the company is putting a “large amount of computing power” at the issue of speed “so in real time, we are making the images a bit smaller [and] blocking some of the adverts”, a service that is customisable to the airline’s needs and requirements.

DataComm Program Could Start in 2015

January 3, 2012
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This week we heard that digital data messaging between pilots and air traffic controllers is scheduled to begin replacing voice-based communications in U.S. airspace in the next three years.

A multifunction control display unit in aircraft cockpit shows a controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) message. (Photo: FAA)
A multifunction control display unit in aircraft cockpit shows a controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) message. (Photo: FAA)

The data communications program is considered one of six “transformational” programs leading to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

Data messaging for air traffic services is expected to improve controller productivity and reduce workload by automating delivery of routine clearances, freeing controllers to handle increased traffic. Safety will be enhanced by reducing misunderstandings and radio congestion arising from voice communications. Data communications are integral to the networked, data-centric vision of NextGen.

The chosen contractor will provide ground-to-ground and air-to-ground segments of a data network between FAA air traffic service points and data comm-equipped aircraft. In the DCIS solicitation, the FAA said it expects the contractor to use one or both of the current commercial providers of air/ground communications–a reference to Arinc and SITA–to provide a VHF Digital Link Mode 2 (VDL-2) datalink for air traffic services that also accommodates aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (Acars) messages.

Acars is used mainly for data communications between an airliner and its operations centre.

ARINC has been providing flight deck communications to the commercial industry for over 20 years – tailoring it to individual needs and operational preferences.

Over half of the world’s business jets rely on ARINC for their air-to-ground communication needs. From the value and reliability of ARINC’s SATCOM and Iridium-based solutions, to the proven industry-standard ACARS and expanded capabilities of VDLM2, to ARINC’s expert Air Traffic Services (ATS) and world-class weather graphics technology – ARINC Direct goes above and beyond to ensure airlines have communications they can always trust.

More information about ARINC’s business aviation communications services can be found at www.flight-planning.aero.

Worldwide Airline Safety Improved 50% In 2011

December 15, 2011
Business Aviation News
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Aircraft Safety Improved 50% in 2011

Aircraft Safety Improved 50% in 2011

This week we heard in the news that global airline safety rates, covering total crashes and passenger deaths, have improved by nearly 50 per cent this year over the first 11 months of 2010..

Total fatal accidents up to November 30 were 22, causing the deaths of 486 passengers and crew. Last year’s totals were 23 and 786. In 2006, 855 people died in 20 crashes.

All world regions including Africa, long one of the most dangerous for air travel, have this year seen a proportional drop in fatalities and plane losses — with the lone exception of Russia and countries linked to it in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), IATA said.

“As of the end of November, the global safety performance (of the industry) is at the best level recorded, and is 49 percent better than the same time last year,” IATA senior vice-president for safety Gunther Matschnigg told reporters.

One of 2011’s most high-profile Russian air disasters was September’s crash at Yaroslavl, on the Volga north-east of Moscow, which killed 45 passengers, including the 37 members of the local Lokomotiv ice hockey squad.

Matschnigg, speaking at IATA’s annual briefing for journalists covering the industry, said a key problem in Russia was that pilots and ground technicians were having to adapt to a growing number of highly sophisticated aircraft.

The IATA safety chief credited the seven-year-old programme, which provides for thorough and regular checks on all aspects of flight security and aircraft maintenance as well as training of personnel, for the major improvement in Africa.

New EU Deal on passenger data transfer to Australia

December 14, 2011
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Last week the European parliament approved a new deal offering the passenger name records (PNR) to be transferred to Australia within data protection laws, helping with airport security and anti-terrorism names. The agreement, set to last for 7 years, will allow the Australian government to keep passenger data for five and half years.

Advance Passenger Information (API), is obligatory in the USA and all EU member states. Increasingly it is being required by governments around the world. Combined with Passenger Name Records (PNR), this information must be sent to the destination country’s border security department for passenger screening, crucial for effective border management.

PNR data is collected by airlines and includes passengers’ personal information, passport numbers and credit card details. After 3 years personal identifying data will be marked out.

PNR data will be kept in the system for the purpose of preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting terrorist offences or serious transnational crime. 

Passenger Data transfer services are usually provided by a third party to the airline. Services such as AviSec Data Transfer by ARINC Direct ensure that data is transferred flawlessly and cost effectively for the airline. Failure on the part of the airline can result in fines of up to $5000, and so in these tough economic times quality services are essential.

ARINC processes 25 million messages each day – over 50% of the world’s operational Type B traffic, to a 3000 strong customer base.

ARINC said “airlines choosing AviSec can be confident that they are getting the highest possible performance at a wholly affordable price.”

Business Jets Affected by World Financial Crisis

December 12, 2011
Business Aviation News
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We know that the dire financial condition of the present have had an effect on almost every industry imaginable, business aviation being no exception.

Business Jet Production Slowed By World Economic Crisis

Business Jet Production Slowed By World Economic Crisis

One tell-tale sign was reported by Flight Global this week. Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) is planning to slow the development of its light business jet, Hawker 200, a six seat aircraft.

With the crisis having lasted now for 4 years this is the second occasion that HBC has been forced to stop development of this low end jet, launched in 2008.

Another of HBC’s light jet stable – the Hawker 400XP – became a casualty of the financial crisis in 2010. Hit by poor sales and low demand, production of the six-seat aircraft was suspended.

HBC have also suspended production of another of their light jets, and whilst they have affirmed that both will be brought back into production once the economy is in a better state, most industry experts expect no improvement in the light jet market for the next 18 months.

But the impact is not only on the order books of manufacturers, used business jet sales are at an all-time low.

All we can do now is wait it out, and hope that new opportunities enter the market soon.