Archive

Tag Archives: flight operations

Worldwide Cabin Services ProvidersRockwell Collins again hit the aviation headlines this week as they team with Inmarsat and Hawaiian Airlines to begin critical evaluations of Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband for safety services.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINC aviation communications network will play what is described as a ‘central role’ in Hawaiian Airlines’ evaluation of Future Air Navigation System (FANS) over SwiftBroadband.

For Hawaiian Airlines, the testing offers a wider opportunity for them to utilise SwiftBroadband for flight deck connectivity, passenger communications and cabin services.

ARINC AIM Platform for Enhanced Infrastructure SecurityRockwell Collins has announced the release of an upgrade to its ARINC AIM user interface which incorporates state-of-the-art technology to deliver an improved experience for users.

The upgrade delivers intuitive workflows, configurable desktop themes, customisable workspace layouts, in-built graphical display editor and improvements to the user feedback mechanism.

Built using Agile software development methodology, the new interface will provide users of ARINC AIM with enhanced flexibility that can more effectively help them manage unexpected changes to critical infrastructure security.

With real-time situational awareness, ARINC AIM’s platform is commonly utilised in nuclear power facilities to monitor security, access and command and control.

Business Aviation NewsInternational Jet Management and Mena Aerospace have entered into a joint venture for the promotion, sale and co-ordination of chartered business jets in Bahrain, which will allow IJM to develop and expand its business into the Middle East.

The MENA subsidiary, MAE Aircraft Management, hold a Kingdom of Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs-issued Aircraft Operating Certificate and are based at Bahrain International Airport in a private hangar facility.

By forming the partnership, IJM are looking forward to working with a locally respected aircraft management company to ‘achieve a strategy for mutual growth.’

RVSM Height-Monitoring Equipment Maintenance Rules Change | Business Aviation NewsEasing the requirements for maintenance for RVSM Height-Monitoring equipment will save business operators in the region of $14 million in the first year alone, according to the FAA this week. Additionally almost 34,000 FAA inspection hours will also be freed.

Since 2008, NBAA representative have been trying to reduce the burden placed on operators for compliance with the maintenance program, without compromising the safety aspects of RVSM airspace.

As regulations stand, to achieve RVSM approval, operators must prepare and submit a separate maintenance program to their local FSDO for all RVSM equipment on top of all other aircraft-related maintenance, adding time and cost for the inspectors and the operator.

Updated regulatory requirements will streamline the RVSM maintenance program and reduce the burden on operators.

Korea Airports Corporation (Providers of Leading Airline Messaging SolutionsKAC) and Korea’s T’Way Air have signed two separate contracts for Rockwell Collins’ ARINC GLOBALinkSM for their air-to-ground data link communications networks.

KAC is a service provider for civil aviation and airline communications and T’Way Air is South Korea’s fastest growing airline. KAC will use ACARS for pre-departure clearance and D-ATIS messaging, utilising VDLM2 for faster, more accurate and reliable transmissions.

T’Way Air hope to enhance accuracy with their new system, using the real-time benefits of Rockwell Collins’ ARINC solution to increase operational safety.

These latest contracts now mean that all of Korea’s largest low-cost carriers are benefitting from Rockwell Collins’ ARINC GLOBALink for the transmission of communications between aircraft, ground crews and airline DCS.

Heament John Kurion, managing director of IMS for Rockwell Collins’ Asia Pacific said, “Our expertise in communications messaging combined with our understanding of the Korean market ideally positions Rockwell Collins to provide these two leading organisations with robust solutions for their aviation communications needs [and] marks another key milestone in our successful strategy to invest and grow our business in the country and throughout the region.”

Following a report released on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson replaced the TSA’s acting administrator, Mr Melvin Carraway with the deputy director, Mark Hatfield.

The findings of the report prompted the action after the TSA’s poor track record was highlighted. Mr Carraway has been reassigned within the DHS and Mr Hatfield will take over until a permanent replacement can be found.

Mr Johnson confirmed that steps will be taken to continue to improve airport security, with the introduction of new screening procedures for both personnel and passengers, and plans for effective training for TSA operatives within the airport environment. He also announced that random security screening will continue.

Integrating Systems Information with Leading ProvidersIt has been announced that American Airlines and US Airways plan to merge their passenger reservations systems this summer after operating separately since their merger in December 2013.

The carriers plan to combine the systems over a three-month period in a bid to avoid problems with data transfers.

Passenger reservations systems form part of a vast infrastructure of airline operations necessary to maintain performance and minimise delays. Ensuring that disruption is kept to a minimum remains a top priority for the airlines, who wish to avoid similar problems experienced by Continental Airlines and United Airlines in 2012, whose passengers were unable to check in, resulting in hundreds of delayed flights.

Airline infrastructure specialist providers, such as Rockwell Collins’ ARINC, use the robust reliability of the AviNet network with their AviNet Airport suite, providing high-performance services for both airlines and airports for access to critical departure control systems.

Providers of B2B Aviation MessagingMost travellers do not realise how much B2B messaging impacts the entire airline process, from passenger reservations through maintenance, security and even refuelling and providing in-flight catering services.

Typically, airlines use Type B messaging for many functions, such as electronically transferring orders of meals, fuel and when turnaround times on the apron are often as tight as 30 minutes, delays can occur if just one function is out of synchronisation.

Aircraft maintenance teams also utilise B2B messaging when ordering critical parts, simplifying and streamlining what could otherwise be a complex logistical process.

Behind the scenes messaging is vital to airlines, airports and operators, needing to be reliable and swiftly delivered to ensure you, the passenger, is not kept waiting.

United Airlines Offer Air Miles to Hackers in Bug Bounty ProgramUnited Airlines has today launched a unique scheme designed to locate gaps in the security of their online services, apps and websites, inviting hackers to find and report vulnerabilities in exchange for air miles.

Submissions could achieve up to one million air miles as the airline searches for problems such as brute force attacks, timing attacks, cross-site scripting, forgery attempts and the most serious – proof of a vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution.

Exempt from the scheme are onboard systems investigation, with UA promising prosecution of breach of these actual systems. There are also exceptions of entry in the so-called ‘Bug Bounty Program’ more information can be found here.

Business Aviation Safety SummitThe importance of data sharing, analysis, disaster recovery and the human factors involved in business aviation safety standards will be discussed and focussed upon this week as pilots and aviation professionals meet in Fort Lauderdale at the NBAA and Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Aviation Safety Summit.

Amongst the first speakers was G550 pilot, Steve Charbonneau, who announced the initial success of the voluntary aviation safety and information analysis sharing program (ASIAS) with 12 departmental members.

Mr John Cox, from Safety Operating Systems, a Washington aviation consultancy firm, talked about the fire risks of the use of lithium ion batteries onboard an aircraft and the sobering difficulties of extinguishing such a fire.

The two-day event, formerly known as the Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar, is industry recognised as the premier safety forum.