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ARINC have announced that long-time customer Aegean Airlines, Greece’s largest full service airline, have chosen their AviNet Airport solution for three major European airports that the Airline operate from – London Heathrow (LHR), Munich Airport (MUC) and Brussels Airport (BRU).

Many airlines in the Europe Middle East African (EMEA) region choose ARINC, as they require ultra-reliability and cost-effectivity when it comes to high speed access to their Amadeus ALTEA Departure Control Sysytem (DCS).  ARINC’s AviNet Airport integrated network solution offers this level of reliability with the vMUSE platform.

The commercial benefits to AviNet Airport are realised by Aegean airlines and other airlines with the reduction of in-house resources needed for implementation of the services, as ARINC manage the ALTEA customer services, flight management and DCS network access.  The common-use, self service platform gives greater flexibility for passengers and the airports, speeding up passenger processing with seamless integration with the DCS.

ARINC have announced that Michael DiGeorge MD of ARINC’s Asia Pacific will speak at the Future Travel Experience Conference, hosted in Hong Kong’s Asia World Expo.

ARINC will be exhibiting their latest developments in Common Bag Drop solutions and innovations such as Roving Agent and VeriPax, the Passenger Reconciliation System.

Mr DiGeorge will moderate a working panel session to highlight the theme of the event, which is ways to facilitate rapid passenger growth, while enhancing the passenger experience by speeding up processing of those passengers and their baggage.

ARINC’s common bag drop solutions include the Self-Service Baggage Drop desks, which give the passenger greater control of their journey, enabling them to check-in online, and then process their own baggage at these dedicated points, used for multiple airlines.  Passengers can tag their own baggage, drop their baggage and save time queuing, also helping airport terminals to save valuable space and giving them greater flexibility with staffing, removing the need for airline dedicated desks.

Mr DiGeorge said, “I am pleased to be sharing strategies to help airlines and airports make the best possible decisions regarding passenger and baggage processing methods.”

Canada’s fourth largest airport, Calgary International (YYC) has announced it will extend its current contract with ARINC, providing via the successful vMUSE platform, Common-Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) for a further 10 years.  The Calgary Airport Authority agreed the extension of the system with the addition of BagLink, the passenger-friendly, Common Use Self Service system and Local Departure Control on the vMUSE platform.

ARINC has been working with the YYC and CAA for 10 years and are looking forward to providing their existing and future passengers with an enhanced travelling experience for the next decade, especially with the addition of the new terminal, currently under construction and expected to be in use by 2015.  The new terminal will incorporate ARINC’s pioneering common-use technology, seamlessly integrating into the existing operations of the airport.

ARINC’s industry-leading, innovative communications, passenger and baggage processing solutions herald the past, present and future of aviation travel, benefiting airlines, airports, passengers and crew in Calgary and across the globe.

Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines have announced their plan to test self-service bag drop over the next few months for passengers travelling within Europe.

Passengers who have checked-in online and have self-printed or mobile boarding passes will be able to use the self-service bag drop desks to weigh, measure and check-in their luggage, then print a baggage label from the self-service bag drop counter to attach themselves.

The airport will use the Dutch company, Type 22’s Scan & Fly, user-friendly technology, in two kiosks for the test, which is set to run until the summer.

“During the trial stage we will test the user-friendliness of the technology,” said Peter Cornillie, Brussels Airlines Vice President Ground Operations. “If the results are positive, the automated baggage check-in system will become a permanent option for all of our passengers travelling within Europe.”

Self-service bag drop is the way forward to streamline airport operations with common-use desks for multiple airlines, widely used in the U.S. using world-leading ARINC technology solutions.

ARINC Self Service Bag Drop

Passenger ProcessingStarting with Honolulu Airport, Hawaii say they are the first in the U.S. to move to completely automated self-baggage tagging with their new multi-airline check in kiosks.

Provided that Hawaiian passengers have self-printed boarding passes, they will be able to weigh, tag and check-in their baggage, leaving airport staff more time to assist passengers with oversized baggage or those with special needs.  This system will greatly reduce waiting time and streamline airport operations.

“Every minute saved in the check-in process improves our customers’ experience substantially, so this is a significant enhancement,” said Hawaiian’s Vice President for Customer Service Louis Saint-Cyr. “The kiosks reduced our customers’ check-in time to eight minutes. The ability to self-tag bags reduces the check-in time even further — by nearly half.”

There is a range of multi-airline check-in services out there, including the ARINC solution, vMUSE, and offering multi-airline check-in and bag drop facilities within an integrated suite of applications.  The vMUSE option maximises airport operations, eliminates the necessity for costly upgrades and gives smaller airports the flexibility of utilizing precious counter space.

ARINC offer interoperability with vMUSE solutions, using existing CUTE systems technology, allowing seamless operations for multi-airline check-in, self-printed boarding passes and bag drop facilities from an industry-leading, reliable provider.

This week the latest at ARINC was the news that it has won a major three year contract at 5 regional airports in Egypt to install its industry-leading passenger processing solution, vMUSE™. The Egyptian airports include Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor, Aswan, Borg El Arab and Abu Simbel. The ARINC CUPPS system fully compliant with the IATA CUPPS standard for common-use passenger systems.

Aviation Information Technology (AVIT) will be working in partnership with ARINC. In the contract, ARINC will install the core common use passenger processing systems (CUPPS) and provide remote third level support, AVIT will then handle first and second level support. There is a 14 week delivery and implementation schedule for all 5 airports which is due for completion by the end of May 2013, the team is currently on plan to achieve this.

Dr Ashraf Zaki, Vice President of EHCAAN said “Egyptian Airports Company (EAC) airports have been experiencing strong growth for several years, We believe that ARINC is an ideal partner to handle our continued expansion given their industry-leading technology and the tremendous airport experience they bring to the table, both globally and here in the Middle East.”

Tony Lynch, Regional Director for ARINC Middle East and Africa said “The ARINC vMUSE solution gives EAC the latest, state-of-the-art CUPPS platform, we have developed strong relationships in Egypt based on our excellent track record in delivering key projects such as Cairo Airport TB3 and Seasonal Terminal. We are pleased to be selected by EAC for these five airports and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Giving smaller and mid-sized airports more flexibility to upgrade their operations is achieved by using ARINC’s vMUSE by eliminating software engineering and development costs.

EAC is a subsidiary of EHCAAN, and currently manages all 19 regional airports in Egypt. EAC airports serve all the different aspects of air travel.

ARINC will continue to provide and maintain the adaptable vMUSE™ platform for the Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS). The long term relationship of ARINC and Munich began in 2003 and now to continue with ARINC’s CUPPS solution in MUC Terminal 2 until December 2014.

“We are impressed with the ARINC vMUSE platform and the support we have received over our long partnership. The ARINC team has regularly exceeded our agreed upon benchmarks and SLAs.” Said Marco Butz, Manager Technology and Infrastructure at Munich airport.

ARINC will continue to provide the premium on-site service and a centralized state-of-the-art firewall solution is due to follow during 2013. Tony Chapman ARINC Senior Director, Integrated Travel Solutions commented “We are delighted to continue working with one of our long-standing and valued customers, as we believe it reflects both the quality of our service and commitment to the highest standards of performance,” he continued “Munich Airport is focused on providing the best possible services for its customers, and ARINC’s technology helps make that achievable.”

Chaos at Hazrat Shahjalal Airport in Dhaka was observed after a seven hour strike largely by ground handlers which led to approximately 3,000 passengers experiencing untold suffering. Civil Aviation Minister Faruk Khan warmed that if the ground handler failed in its responsibilities then the government would have no other option but to replace it.

Ground handling involves providing cabin services, catering, ramp services and passenger services. In Hazrat Shahjalal, Biman is the handling agent specifically for baggage handling and continually shows poor performance

At Dhaka baggage is brought to the delivery carousel from the arriving aircrafts in wheeled containers and unloaded by hand at the carousel point.  Most of the time baggage arrives and is ready to be picked up to an hour or more. If two or three wide-bodied aircrafts lands one after the other, it could be total pandemonium. In several other international airports procedures are such that a passenger could be eligible for compensation if their baggage takes more than 20 minutes to arrive at the baggage carousel.

The government is reported to be switching to an automated baggage handling system. It is trying to introduce a computerised Baggage Reconciliation system which will reduce mishandling of luggage. Sophisticated machines designed for baggage handling, including loading and unloading, will be introduced. This measure is expected to reduce loss or damage and will speed up dispatch and receipt of baggage..

This week we heard that ARINC will be providing IT maintenance and support for Japan’s AVICOM Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS).

AVICOM is Japan’s service provider for aviation communications, performing the same role as the FAA in the USA. Since the 1990’s AVICOM has used ACARS, and has selected ARINC to provide a broader service and maintenance solution that meets increasingly demanding cost expectations. ARINC will provide dedicated on-site support at AVICOM’s Network Operating Center, in addition to remote support in locations across Japan. The complete ARINC managed solution comprises asset management, incident management, preventive maintenance and reporting.

“This is the first time we’ve been contracted to support an ACARS system and provide maintenance for back-end network infrastructure in this way,” said Jim L. Martin, Managing Director, ARINC Asia Pacific. “This engagement highlights the flexibility of our IT support capabilities to develop solutions for a variety of technical environments,” Martin continued.

For more information on ARINC’s services airport management please visit the AviNet Airport site. For specific information on ACARSs and the transmission of Type B Messages please visit the Type B Messaging site.

Virtual Airport Common Use Systems vMUSE Enterprise, the latest version of ARINC’s well-known MUSE® (Multi-User System Environment is a common use platform that offers an advanced virtual technology,  providing all in one multi-airline check-in without having to connect to on-site servers or platform software – using the private cloud of ARINC.

The benefits of vMUSE Enterprise, which has the capabilities as full-size server-based terminal, are that airlines and airports can enjoy power savings, space savings and reduced up-front capital costs. It also reduces operational and maintenance costs. Key components of vMUSE Enterprise are safely stored in the cloud so it can be quickly set up in any environment where power and the internet are available. Ideal for small and seasonal airports, airport parking terminals, rental car facilities, transit stations, and overflow use. This “pay-as-you-go” service reduces expenditure, minimises overheads with immediate access.

Existing PC’s can be converted to vMUSE Enterprise physical clients, and those who opt to replace traditional PCs with thin client workstations can realise further cost savings. With no moving parts, support costs are lower and the power consumption of thin client devices is considerably less than that of a PC.

To find out additional information view the website: http://www.vmuse-enterprise.com/