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ARINC AQP ACARS over Iridium Approved for FLYHT

July 30, 2013
Business Aviation News
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FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd has announced that it has been given approval for the use of AFIRS 228 to send ACARS over Iridium messages over the ARINC network as a result of ARINC’s GLOBALink /Iridium phase 3 AQP tests.

Iridium satellite network provides global reach for messaging and has been used by FLYHT for nearly 10 years rather than traditional VHF radio.  HFDL, part of ARINC’s GLOBALink, fills in the gaps as far as coverage is concerned, with 15 stations that offer truly global coverage for ACARS and other critical data messaging, including remote polar regions.

ARINC is one of only two organizations that are approved to route ACARS protocol; the industry-standard for communication of critical ground and ground-air messaging for over 50 years.

“This is a key milestone for the Company and its customers. To successfully pass the AQP testing on the first attempt is not the industry norm. We are thrilled that the certification program for FLYHT’s products is proceeding as smoothly as planned, which is the result of the highly skilled and dedicated team that FLYHT has assembled,” said Bill Tempany, President and CEO of FLYHT.  “The certification of the AFIRS 228 opens an expanded market to major carriers requiring the AOI capability for FANS or CPDLC compliance for FLYHT. These approvals underpin an aggressive marketing push, which is well underway.”

Bangor Aviation Company Expansion Plan

July 18, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Military Mission-Critical CommuniationsC&L Aerospace, based in Bangor, Maine, provider of services to the commercial and military aviation industries, has announced plans to undertake a $5 million expansion project.

It is hoped that the planned expansion will turn the company into a one-stop service centre for aircraft owners and operators within military aviation.

The company intend to spend $1.8 million in a project to upgrade its 17,000 sq ft hangar into an aviation paint shop facility and plans maintenance hangar improvements to the tune of around another $3 million.

If the facility expansion and upgrade plan goes ahead as planned, the resulting work will open up opportunities for around 50-70 jobs.

TAG Aviation Move Towards UK’s First Paperless Flight Deck with iPad Flight Planning App

July 15, 2013
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TAG Aviation Use iPad Flight Planning AppUK operator, TAG Aviation has said that it plans to replace the traditional flight bag with the use of iPads and an iPad flight planning app, making them the first UK business aviation operator to move toward the paperless cockpit.

A surprising difference is made to the weight of the aircraft and subsequent fuel consumption with the heavy flight bags on board, as minute calculations are made during the flight planning process.  The innovation of the iPad flight planning app reduces not only the paper consumption, but also the fuel costs making it an all-round winner for business aviation if you add the benefit of streamlined efficiency on the flight deck.

“The introduction of paperless technology will ensure that pilots have up-to-date, essential information at their fingertips.  Flights manuals, manufacturer’s documents and aeronautical flight charts can be updated at the touch of a button instead of the time-consuming and wasteful process of manually updating hard copies,” said Russ Allchorne, Vice President of Flight Operations Europe at TAG Aviation (UK). “At TAG Aviation, we are committed to identifying ways to pioneer standards in flight operations and wider business aviation practices to improve efficiency, safety and our environmental footprint.”

Many communications providers now offer the iPad flight planning app with the aim of reducing costs while maintaining effective and efficient flight management.  ARINC Direct, industry-leading business aviation solutions provider are able to incorporate the iPad flight planning app into their tailored communications and flight support services for business jets.

ARINC AviNet Selected by EgyptAir for Fourteen Global Airports

July 3, 2013
Business Aviation News Introduction
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EgyptAir Select ARINC AviNetIt has been announced today that EgyptAir has elected to use ARINC’s AviNet Airport services solution for five Egyptian airports and nine others across the world, including Heathrow, Manchester and Dubai.

The decision to implement AviNet follows the recent contract award in March for the installation of vMUSE passenger processing solution at the Egyptian airports of Luxor, Aswan El Arab, Borg, Abu Simbel and Sharm El Sheikh.

ARINC will also provide turnkey project management services, in addition to AviNet, for the connection of the airports to the Amadeus ALTEA host, enabling ARINC to significantly reduce costs for the airline and providing a single-point contact to assist with major upgrades to its critical airport operations worldwide.

“ARINC’s ability to provide a fully managed service eliminates administrative burdens from our team, saving time and money,” said Mr. Hassan Nour, Vice President of IT Services at EgyptAir. “AviNet Airport’s reliable connectivity enables us to improve our airport operations globally, which ultimately benefits all of our passengers.”

Co-Operative Plans for EASA & EUROCONTROL

July 2, 2013
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The European Aviation Safety Agency and EuroControl have established a co-operative plan for the improvement of aviation, focussing upon the implementation of the Single European Sky, with environmental protection, training and the development of the EU External Aviation Policy as priorities.

The co-operative plans will establish a common foundation, general framework and a programme on a formal basis, expected later this year.  There will be an evaluation of national civil aviation authorities’ mandates and the requirements of military airspace users in addition to overseeing the SESAR deployment.

EASA executive director Patrick Goudou said “the new framework is instrumental in the development of a more competitive air transport industry in Europe. EUROCONTROL believes this agreement will provide the optimal framework to combine the expertise and resources of the two European organisations, following the extension of EASA competences to ATM/ANS and aerodromes”

It is believed that EUROCONTROL will support EASA’s regulatory work with its air traffic and route management.

The new Single European Sky is a direct initiative borne from the heavy congestion over Europe.  Part of the directive spells the need for CPDLC capability in the cockpits to free up the airwaves.

EASA EuroControl Single Sky CPDLC

Australia to Align ATM & CPDLC in Future Unified Platform

July 1, 2013
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CPDLC Airservices, Australia’s air navigation service agency and the Dept of Defence have put out a request for tender for the creation of an aligned Air Traffic Management platform that is intended to harmonise the ATM & CPDLC requirements of both civil and defence movements.

The organisations want the new system to increase co-operation and reduce overlapping, improve communications via CPDLC and to streamline processes and equipment including training and subsequent expertise that can be shared across the workforce.

Airservices CEO, Margaret Staib said, “Through more flexible use of airspace, it will enable better management and prioritisation of an increasingly complex traffic mix. In an environment of projected growth, it will also allow us to connect the Australian aviation industry to deliver world-best industry performance.”

The aim is to bring Australian aviation airspace into a unified state, rather than accepting the limitations of separately managed volumes.  A shared and harmonised airspace, including CPDLC and air traffic management solutions will increase safety aspects and operational efficiency across the board in the increasingly complex range of traffic.

Air Marshal Brown, Chief of the Air Force said, “The streamlining of equipment and processes will bring with it shared expertise and facilities, creating economies of scale whilst delivering greater flexibility meeting the needs of airspace users.”

SunExpress Readying for European CPDLC Mandates

June 19, 2013
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SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines plan to completely revamp its entire fleet of Boeing 737 with the Rockwell Collins Link 2000+ starting later this year.

The retrofitting will allow for compliance with Eurocontrol’s new CPDLC mandate that states that by 2015, all flights operating above 28,000 feet in European airspace must have CPDLC capability.  The mandate is currently under review for private aircraft, but will move forward in improving air traffic management and capacity throughout Europe under the supervision of Eurocontrol.

Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) is clearly the future of cockpit efficiency, reducing the workload for pilots and allowing for greater air traffic management as the skies grow busier and traditional voice radio communications in congested airwaves makes controller-pilot communication more difficult.

CPDLC providers are preparing for the ultimate changeover and many, such as ARINC, offer an advisory service to airlines concerned with refitting or retrofitting aircraft with a range of solutions, enabling them to be CPDLC ready when the time comes.

Aero Icarus / Foter / CC BY-SA

New iPad App Takes the Paperless Cockpit to a New Level

June 9, 2013
Business Aviation News
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This week it has been announced that a pilot has written an iPad app that will handle the commuter and on-demand flight ops calculations, such as departure gradients, approach planning, flight time tracking and climb performance, to name a few.

The new app for the iPad, called the ‘Aviation Pilot Duty and Performance Calculator’ is the latest in a line of innovations introduced since the iPad impact on the cockpit began saving the Pilot hours of complicated, intricate work involving reams of paper that would have to be carried.

The iPad has been a major contribution to the paperless flight deck and with the many apps on the market, such as the ARINC Direct iPad Flight Planning App, especially designed and developed for business aviation users, the Pilot and flight ops crew can look forward to a truly streamlined, optimized cockpit.

iPad flight planning app

ARINC AviNet Solution Chosen by Tocumen International Airport

June 5, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Panama’s Tocumen International Airport with the support of the ICAO has chosen ARINC AviNet Messaging Solution for the analysis of the airport’s operational data and capturing advance passenger information (API).

ARINC also provides baggage source, load and movement messages which encompasses critical data about weight, baggage and movement for arriving and departing aircraft.

Finding ARINC’s AviNet to be the most effective solution available, Juan Carlos Pino, Tocumen’s GM said, “The new solution will assist the airport in capturing both operational and advance passenger information data from international air transport carriers.”

ARINC AviNet will be used for the on-going analysis, through the transmission of API messages, which supports Panama’s border security requirements and aims to improve airport operational efficiency.

ARINC Global Networks and IT Solutions Vice-President, Yun Chong agrees and says, “Tocumen International Airport is joining other industry leaders who are using operation data analysis to improve airport efficiency.”

ARINC AviNet for Tocumen

U.S. Needs Business Aviation for Economic Growth

May 26, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Changing trends in commercial aviation have shown that over the past six years, there has been a drop in scheduled domestic flights to the tune of almost 9% per year in the largest hub airports in the U.S. with smaller airports losing 21% of domestic activity, according to a report by MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation.

The blame for this significant decrease in activity is largely attributed to the troubled economy and vastly fluctuating fuel prices, forcing operators to adjust capacity for a higher yield per flight and even removing direct flights to smaller airports, thus creating an impact upon small and medium-sized communities, in rural America, for example, in turn greatly affecting the service levels to these areas.

With public transport at a minimum in rural areas, and the demands upon business travellers increases with the economic crisis, there has never been a more critical time for business aviation to provide business travellers with the means to act fast in opportunistic situations.

The U.S. has invested billions in ensuring a safe, reliable and efficient air transport infrastructure and this is essential for the facilitation of the continued operation of airline travel for commercial airlines, business and recreational aircraft to maintain a robust infrastructure and to keep the skies busy and keep the economy growing.

Indeed, rural America encourages companies to bring jobs to the communities and the creation of effective transportation is welcomed with open arms.  The need for strong connections grows and, currently, airlines serve only 10% of the nation’s airports between less than 50 locations country-wide.

The authors of the report do not expect the situation to improve in the near future with commercial airlines and, with the businesses that fly their executives to where the opportunities lie, it is clear that business aviation is an area of the industry that will experience the growth and productivity that will ultimately benefit the nation’s economy.

business aviation

Business Aviation to aid economic growth