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Honeywell Sign Agreement with ARINC Direct to Provide Business Aviation with Inmarsat GX for Fast Aircraft Communications

October 21, 2013
Business Aviation News
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aircraft communicationsDesignated airtime resellers, Honeywell have signed an agreement with ARINC Direct to provide the new Inmarsat GX Aviation connectivity to the Business Aviation Industry.

The agreement will provide ARINC Direct with the ability to incorporate the new GX Aviation into their Business Aviation Services and sell subscriptions packages to business jet operators and private owners.

The new Inmarsat GX Aviation is a Ka-band solution that will be available at the beginning of 2015 and will bring faster-than-ever broadband speeds for inflight messaging and entertainment that will rival those of ground-based operations.

Aircraft internet services for passenger communications will be faster and more cost-effective than existing services and will enhance flight deck communications with web-based services that can be accessed and operated in real time.

Inmarsat, a British Satellite Network has commissioned Boeing to build four satellites for the provision of the service and the first of which is expected to be ready to launch as early as December 2013.

ARINC Direct is delighted to be at the forefront of the new connectivity, following in the pioneering footsteps of ‘big brother’ ARINC Inc.

Controller Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) Showcased at Open Day

October 20, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Controller Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) Airtraffic Controllers Association of Ghana (ACAG) held an open day in Accra last week to showcase Controller Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) capabilities amongst its other activities to the public.

The open day was held in the Control Tower Building at Kokota International Airport (KIA) which opened its doors to the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, Journalists and St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School as well as members of the public.

It is hoped that the open day will generate interest in air traffic control as a specialist career and encourage students to follow a path in aviation.

Air traffic control is a varied and interesting career, requiring specialist knowledge and ability in order to apply separation rules to maintain safe flying distances between aircraft in their assigned airspace as well as on the ground.

Mr William Amoako, an Airtraffic controller with GCAA, conducted the tour of the facility and stressed the importance of the role that the sector plays in the safety and efficiency of flying time.

Controller Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) is gradually replacing radio communications and is the future of air traffic management.  CPDLC helps to reduce pilot workload in the cockpit by automating many routine tasks and reduces radio congestion.

Yonder Aircraft Internet – ViaSat Providers for Business Aviation

October 18, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Aircraft Internet with ARINC Cabin Connect

ViaSat, providers of Yonder Internet Service for business jets say their customers are feeling the benefit of their high speed aircraft internet after an increase of 60% in bandwidth, new systems and ground station upgrades.

Aircraft internet is rapidly becoming a necessity on the modern executive jet aircraft.  Passenger communications solutions are big news in the business aviation services sector.

With the demands on the increase, the pressure is upon aircraft internet and aircraft wifi providers to bring new, fast and reasonably priced solutions to the industry.

Aircraft satellite communications bring speed, efficiency and cost effectivity to a world that needs seamless global connections.  Business Jet passengers need to work at the same levels of productivity as they do in their ground-based offices and customer service is a firm ground in competitive conditions.

Aircraft internet providers for business aviation such as ARINC Direct, are constantly expanding their extensive suite of solutions.  Competitive packages are individually tailored to suit their customers whether they operate a single executive jet or an entire fleet.

End of Government Shutdown Welcomed by NBAA

October 17, 2013
Business Aviation News
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NBAA Welcome End of Government ShutdownEd Bolen, CEO and President of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has released a statement welcoming the end of the U.S. Government shutdown over the last few weeks, following President Obama’s signing of the agreement to address the debt ceiling.

Although it is acknowledged that it will take some time before the FAA services are fully ‘up and running’ again, the move heaves a collective sigh of relief throughout the industry. The affects of the shutdown have been far-reaching and devastating for business aviation and the NBAA has worked long and hard to find a way forward.

“For the past 17 days, the federal government has been shut down, and the consequences for business aviation have been devastating. Throughout this period, NBAA has tirelessly urged policymakers from every point on the political spectrum, both sides of Capitol Hill and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to find some way forward. We welcome this agreement for ending the shutdown, because it brings a resolution to an untenable situation,” said Mr Bolen.

Mr Bolen also remarked that the NBAA need to monitor developments as there is a distinct possibility that the same circumstances could arise again, that led to the shutdown.  The industry will be kept informed, he promised.

“As always, we will need to remain vigilant, and our industry will need to be ready to mobilize, just as the business aviation community did when the devastating impacts of this shutdown became clear.”

Many crucial services were suspended during the shutdown, including the purchase and sale, import and exports and maintenance of aircraft as the FAA’s US Aircraft Registry was directly affected.

ARINC Direct and Polaris Partner to Bring Vector SMS Safety Management System to their Flight Support Services Packages

October 16, 2013
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Direct Flight Support Services

Leading provider of flight support services solutions for business aviation, ARINC Direct, has announced the launch of Vector SMS, a quality and Safety Management System (SMS) that will improve operational efficiency and enhance flight safety.

The solution, brought via third party ARINC partner, Polaris, will be demonstrated at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Las Vegas later this year.

Vector SMS will be a critical addition to ARINC Direct’s flight support services, enabling flight departments compliance with SMS standards, such as IS-BAO and ICAO, with swift efficiency.  With a service designed for the needs of flight departments of any size on a subscription basis, it is a cost-effective solution for the implementation of a safety management system.

“SMS is becoming a standard throughout the aviation industry worldwide,” said Bob Richard, Vice President of ARINC Direct. “ARINC, along with our partner Polaris, is leading the industry in providing organizations with a comprehensive safety management program that truly represents the next step in the evolution of safety in aviation.”

“Polaris Aero’s continued partnership with ARINC Direct will greatly increase the awareness and acceptance of SMS among flight departments,” said Christopher Connor at Polaris Aero. “We are excited to provide a rich set of SMS functionality to ARINC Direct, a company that continues to drive innovative flight planning solutions in our industry.”

Business Jets Fractional Ownership Trend Growing

October 3, 2013
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Fractional Ownership in Business Aviation

Fractional ownership initiatives allow buyers to acquire a fraction of a business jet, paying a monthly fee for management, then flight fees per hour of use.  Some companies offer pay-in-advance schemes where the customer can purchase bulk flying time.

For the past five years, there has been a lull in this industry; the economic downturn is partly to blame, with expenses cutbacks and falling rates of business.  This had led to many fractional ownership companies going out of business, with some being bought out, such as the proposed acquisition of Bombardier’s Flexjet by Directional Aviation Capital who already own Flight Options and Sentient Jet, fractional ownership enterprises.

It is hoped, now that there are fewer players in the industry, that prices can become more competitive, with greater flexibility for new growth in this sector.

Executive Airshare is keeping its focus upon the light jet market, which is less capital-intensive, offering businesses a more affordable way of flight compared to that of larger jets.

Already there seems to have been a resurgence of business with some companies noticing a rise of up to 50% on last year’s figures.  Many believe that this is a clear indication that people are returning to ‘normal’ business activity.

It may also be an indication that businesses are prepared to go a little further in search of new contracts and to seek out new business opportunities.

Recently it was suggested that it can be more cost-effective for companies to share the hire of a business jet than to purchase individual seats on commercial flights.

Whatever is happening, it is clearly good for business in the sector.

Private Jet in Atlanta More Economical than Commercial Flight

October 2, 2013
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Business Aviation News

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
Business Aviation News
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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.

Revised Format of NOTAMs by the FAA

September 20, 2013
Business Aviation News
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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.