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ARINC AviSec – Passenger Data Transfer & Advanced Passenger Information – airline passenger data & aircraft communications – ARINC business aviation security

Passenger numbers at UK airports is growing 5% per year – meaning that the airports are under increasing pressure to process more passengers, more quickly, with ever more stringent security checks.

Whilst automatic gates and iris/fingerprint recognition help to improve the passenger processing experience one suggestion to help alleviate the problem has been earlier delivery of advance passenger information.

The use of passenger data in advance would allow screening, prior to arrival. Passengers are already required to provide data about themselves and their journey at different points before departure. From the outset, they supply key information as part of passport and visa applications. This basic identity and biographic information is being strengthened through the linking of the passport or visa to biometric data, fingerprints, facial images or iris scans. In addition, individuals increasingly provide further information to the airline through advanced passenger information when they reserve their ticket and then, at check-in, creating an assured picture of individual and travel plans.

Consolidating this data and making it routinely available to immigration authorities as soon as it is collected will enable them to carry out effective profiling and pre-clearance of travellers. Authorities will be able to use this data to identify in advance any potential risks to public safety, national security or association with criminal activity. .

The challenge for airlines and operators is transmitting this data effectively. When choosing a provider of passenger data transfer airlines need to be assured that they not only receive a reliable and cost efficient solution at the present, but that they are using a provider that can cope with future innovations, such as those suggested here.

ARINC has been delivering high-performance messaging the aviation for over 50 years and is the innovative leader in aircraft communications. Their AviSec Messaging product deals directly with this and customers can rely on an accurate service that will evolve with border security developments. For more information please visit: avisec-messaging.com

Business Jets Not Luxury but Essential

July 4, 2012

This week the BBC featured an article on business jets and the image associated with them. There were some interesting comments from those in the industry.

It is an industry that is perceived as exclusive and opulent, but actually the luxury is a by-product, not the goal.

The industry has been misjudged said Steve Varsano, of The Jet Business, a private jet and helicopter broker in London. “People have the wrong idea about business aviation,” he says. “It’s a business tool.”

Inside The Jet Business showroom a full-sized Airbus ACJ cabin has been reconstructed to showcase large, soft leather seats and fridges filled with champagne.

“It is luxurious,” he acknowledges. “But it’s not really about luxury. When you spend $20m, or $30, or $50m on a private jet, the cost of the luxury aspect makes up perhaps 1-2% of the total price, so why not make it comfortable?”

The article suggests that difficulties obtaining finance for corporate jets one of the reasons why the market has struggled, with bankers being unwilling to finance private jets.

Eddie Pieniazek, global head of consultancy, Ascend commented “There’s plenty of potential for the market going forward. Aircraft are still being delivered, Europe’s still busy, and we’re expecting to see roughly as many aircraft delivered this year as last year.”

Brian Humphries, president and chief executive of the European Business Aviation Association observes “We’ve had a huge increase in the European fleet in the last decade,” he says, pointing to how there were only about 2,000 turbine powered aircraft in Europe in the 1990s, compared with about 4,000 today.

Within the business, some operators of business aircraft are struggling in a market where margins are tight, Mr Humphries acknowledges.

This growth in demand for high-end private jets and helicopters confirms the continuing growth in the spending power of the famous and the powerful.

Evolving Self-Service Kiosks

July 4, 2012

Evolving Self-Service Kiosks

In June Airport Business Magazine featured the evolution of the kiosk. As passengers come to expect technologies to make their check in process simpler companies such as ARINC have reacted to the demand to offer ever increasingly advanced solutions.Common-use self-service (CUSS) kiosks are now extensively used across Europe, but now we are seeing the next generation – kiosks that allow passengers to check-in, select their seat, print boarding passes, and print out their own baggage tags.

ARINC provides cost effective solutions for private and commercial airlines to improve efficiency and security.

In recent years common-use technology that enables multiple airlines to share computer systems at airport check-in desks and boarding gates has become well established. The next decade will see many airports and airlines moving away from PC-based applications to those hosted in cloud computing environments. The advantages of hosted services include not only lower capital outlay and greater efficiency, but also a reduction in power consumption, space requirements and IT airport costs.

ARINC will continue to exploit the benefits of common-use technology by designing new systems to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry. At the same time, the company provides a comprehensive service to enhance customers’ legacy solutions, ensuring they are CUPPS (Common-use Passenger Processing System) compliant and certified.

It is all part of the service at ARINC, which has significant experience in delivering reliable, versatile and innovative solutions to improve all airport operations, from baggage management and passenger reconciliation to terminal optimisation and automated turnaround activity.

Why is efficient ACARS is so important?

June 3, 2012

This week I wanted to focus on how some technologies can make or break an airline. An article that appeared on thehindu.com demonstrated how ACARS has been so important for one airline.

IndiGo has been showing a resounding success, with high seat take up rates and good profit margins whilst its competitors are grounding planes.

Now handling over 1 million passengers each month IndiGo was set up in early 2006 by Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia of InterGlobe Enterprises. The success has been attricuted to many actors but Kapil Kaul, regional head, Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA), states that one of the chief reasons for IndiGo’s success is its focus — “on-time performance, clean, neat aircraft, and good service”.

In India air travel is relatively expensive and therefore the key has been to appeal to a customer base on time saving benefits – for this reason a significant delay on a 55 minute flight would be a disaster. IndiGo has carved out a reputation for flawless “On Time Performance”, and an average on-time record of an amazing 90 per cent.

By using ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing And Reporting System), a constant radio and satellite communication between aircraft and ground stations, the airline has maximised it efficiency. Before every departure, an automatic message is triggered from aircraft to control centre and the departure time recorded immediately. Similarly, the moment the flight lands an automatic message is triggered from aircraft to control centre. These timings are recorded “real time” and without human intervention.

There is no doubt that the efficiency of IndiGo set it apart from its competitors in India, and demonstrated the importance of reliable aircraft messaging.

ARINC offer aircraft messaging solutions, including AviNet for Type B Messaging, to business aviation users, make such reliability affordable with fixed pricing plans. ARINC also include a consultancy service for those who want re-examine their Type B Messaging costs and make infrastructure more efficient.

For more information please visit typebcheck.com

IndiGo Success Due to ACARS

ARINC Flight Information System Selected for Hilton Philadelphia Airport

This month we heard from ARINC, the world’s leading provider of managed IT services and support for airports and airport facilities, that the Hilton Philadelphia Airport has implemented the ARINC microFIDS(TM) flight information system to enhance customer service and revenue at its location adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport.

ARINC microFIDS technology enables the hotel to deliver focused information to both types of guests: at-a-glance flight info for airport travelers and promotional and events-focused content for longer-term guests.

Providing on-site flight status information, the hotel makes it easy for guests to spend any delays in the comfort of the hotel rather than the airport. The addition of ARINC’s patented iSMART technology makes it easy for the hotel to add customized content and promotions that drive traffic to hotel services and increase revenue.

ARINC offers solutions to business aviation users, as well as large scale operations. In Europe ARINC Direct offers a whole host of flight planning and flight support services to business jet owners and operators. Including everything from in-flight broadband for passenger communications to mission critical messaging and other flight deck communications to fuel planning and graphical weather ARINC Direct aim to keep pricing affordable through unique pricing structures for this market. More details can be found at www.business-flight-planning.com.

ARINC Flight Information System Selected for Hilton Philadelphia Airport

Oxford Aviation Academy bought by CAE

In general business aviation news we saw that the Oxford Aviation Academy based at Oxford Airport near Kidlington has been bought up by Canadian company CAE for £195m. Training hundreds of pilot each year the Oxford Aviation Academy has nine other sites around the world.

CAE president Marc Parent said: “We are very excited about this acquisition as it enables us to offer customers more locations as well as a new service for pilot and maintenance crew sourcing.”

Business Aviation News – Oxford Aviation Academy bought by CAE

Airbus Corporate Jets Moves to Push Sales

Airbus has been making appearances at more aviation events than ever – 11 planned this year.

Currently at EBACE with an ACJ319 ACJ is showing off the impressive cabin to as many potential buyers as possible. The ACJ319 carries 19 passengers and has two private rooms that convert to bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom.

Airbus has secured 60 orders for VIP versions of its widebody airliners since the mid-1980s, and 110 narrowbodies since launching the Airbus Corporate Jet family in 1997.

The business jet market continues to perform well in most countries, despite the current economic conditions, but owners and operators are becoming increasingly conscious of economic constraints.

In order to create a more effective operation many owners and operators of business jets are turning to ARINC Direct solutions for flight planning, flight deck communications and flight support.

ARINC Direct offers unsurpassed reliability and 24/7 support to its customers who benefit from simple pricing structures. For more information please visit: www.business-flight-support.com

Airbus Corporate Jets Moves to Push Sales

Government to fast-track proposal for FDI in aviation

The fast track proposal to allow foreign airlines to invest in domestic airlines by the Government ended its Parliament session on May 22. In January 2012 that the Ministry for Civil Aviation announced a “broad consensus” in the Government on allowing foreign airlines to acquire an up to 49 per cent stake in domestic airlines. However, the proposal is yet to be approved by the Government.

When the sector was first opened in the early 1990s, the Government allowed foreign airlines to invest in domestic airlines.

It is rumoured that a number of domestic airlines have informally approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation, seeking that the proposal be pushed through at the earliest.

Besides, a number of global private equity funds that traditionally have a stake in several leading international airlines have also been making discreet inquiries from the Ministry on the issue. Official sources said that foreign investment in Indian carriers is being given a thrust right now because most domestic airlines are bleeding and banks in India are reluctant to fund most of them. So, there are only a few options left to keep them afloat. Even as the Government starts the process of implementing a change in policy, there has been a steady stream of chief executive officers and owners of global airlines visiting the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Each proposal by a foreign airline will have to be cleared by the inter-ministerial Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). With the Ministry of Home being a part of FIPB, any proposal considered against India’s security interests will be blocked, officials said.

In Focus – In Flight Broadband