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Bombardier Deliver High-Speed Connectivity Hardware

September 17, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Providers of In-Flight Connectivity & Business Aviation ServicesBombardier’s business jet aircraft will be the first to deliver Honeywell’s JetWave Ka-Band satellite connectivity system, exclusively supporting Inmarsat’s JetConneX service which is set to go live in 2015. The system will bring business passengers global in-flight connectivity at high speeds and will allow for video-conferencing, large file exchange and content streaming capabilities.

Inmarsat and Honeywell signed an agreement two years ago which gave Honeywell the exclusive provision of hardware for the Ka-band GX Aviation service, branded as JetConneX for business aviation customers. The service promises connectivity in the air as seamlessly reliable and fast as that of ground-based offices and thus appealing to the business aviation market for executive aircraft.

“With JetWave securing the backing of a leading business jet manufacturer in Bombardier, we celebrate a major milestone in the evolution of business aircraft connectivity,” said Brian Sill, president, Business and General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace. “The industry is showing a clear desire for high speed, global, consistent in-flight connectivity and is turning to Honeywell and Inmarsat to deliver it.”

“Our customers want to be online everywhere they go. They will now experience the same level of connectivity in the air that they have come to expect on the ground without a drop in connectivity performance once they leave their homes or offices,” said Eric Martel, president, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “The introduction of this technology allows us to further strengthen the industry-leading cabin experience that we are offering to our customers.”

Honeywell is also the prime distributor of airtime for the business aviation sector, working with ARINC Direct, Satcom Direct, Satcom1, Aircell and OnAir.

In-flight Connectivity Reseller Deal for Inmarsat and Rockwell Collins

September 11, 2014
Business Aviation News
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The Face of In-Flight Connectivity to Change with Rockwell Collins & InmarsatIt has been announced that Inmarsat, British global satellite communications providers and aviation giant Rockwell Collins have signed a deal that could change the face of in-flight connectivity, as Rockwell Collins will be a value added reseller for the commercial air transport market sector.

GX Aviation is the latest generation of Inmarsat services and will provide connection speeds of up to 50Mbps on a global scale. Scheduled for release to the commercial air transport sector in the first half of 2015, GX Aviation will offer airlines the opportunity to deliver value added services to passengers that promises connectivity such as that found on the ground.

“By combining GX with our current L-Band services, we’ll also be able to provide our airline customers with a complete portfolio of connectivity options for a full range of applications from the cockpit to the cabin,” Jeff Standerski, Rockwell Collins’ senior vice president of information management services said, adding that new possibilities could be brought for their ARINC Cabin Connect suite.

GX Aviation will enable faster speeds and expandable bandwidth for in-flight entertainment, including real-time TV and video, web browsing and to accommodate future devices and applications.

The deal is a key building block for Inmarsat in their mission to deliver high-speed connectivity for passengers and for the flight deck.

Inmarsat president of aviation, Leo Mondale said, “Rockwell Collins is a key partner for the full portfolio of existing Inmarsat Aviation services, and will be one of the first to bring the new, exciting GX Aviation service to its large airline customer base. We have built the very best team of aviation companies to ensure airlines have excellent access to GX Aviation. Our Ka-band solution enables us to meet the rapidly growing demand for passenger connectivity”

Aviation Data Mining Looks for Passenger Opinion for On-Board Experience

August 13, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Superior Cabin Services Solutions ProvidersIn a bid to look at new ways to improve passenger experience and maximise revenue, multiple companies are now data-mining to find out what passengers really think of aircraft cabins, cabin services In-Flight Entertainment, connectivity capabilities and more.

The creation of a ‘passenger experience’ database is seen by many as a real asset to airlines in terms of potential cabin add-ons and for designers when looking at the future of aviation travel. A comprehensive database will tell the industry leaders exactly what is required.

“I can see why a ‘passenger experience’ database would be a big benefit. It would give valuable feedback to airlines, and to suppliers in the end,” says aircraft interiors and IFE integration specialist Kosta Gianakopoulos. “Look at the experience of buying a car. Before you had the Internet, you’d simply go to the dealership to learn about a new car. But now you can do all the research on the Internet, read reviews, and go to the dealership and educate the sales guy. Why not book a flight armed with the same type of detail?”

Looking at the in-flight connectivity sector data is interesting stuff. “Anyone who flies knows that some connectivity is better than none,” says John Walton, Routehappy’s director of data. “But with the flood of approvals for satellite Wi-Fi following the FAA birdstrike testing, the wave of increasingly better Wi-Fi is cresting. We know what the maximum bandwidth and transfer speed are for each technology, so we’re explaining it to everyday flyers in ways that are easy to understand and familiar to them. People have experienced glacial speeds with older technologies, and it’s time to explain that if connectivity is important to you, you have some really good options out there.”

Data mining is in every other sector of industry and public opinion really does count in a world of competitive pricing and budget airlines. What better way to gain an edge on the competition than by giving the customer what he wants? Cabin services matter to passengers and a grasp of public opinion is vital in this consumer age.

King Air SwiftBroadband SATCOM Solution

August 12, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other SwiftBroadband SATCOM Solutions ProvidersKing Air will soon be installing its SwiftBroadband SATCOM solution with installers Cobham SATCOM receiving Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval from Brazilian Administración Nacional de Avianción Civil (ANAC).

King Air models B200, B200C and B300 (Super King Air 350) will receive access to an extensive range of communications abilities with built-in WiFi options.

The aircraft will receive Cobham’s AVIATOR 200, a compact, lightweight system with the reliability of SwiftBroadband, Inmarsat’s 200 service. With speeds of up to 200 kbps and a single ABME 2 channel for voice calls, the King Air aircraft will be fully connected.

Kevin Harriman, Pro Star Aviation General Manager, said, “The AVIATOR 200 is the perfect choice for King Air operators as it offers the ideal broadband and voice solution and is small and lighter than other solutions. It is practical and affordable, and, with reduced hardware and installation costs, the AVIATOR 200 is everything you need to stay connected.”

Kim Gram, Vice President Aeronautical Business Unit, Cobham SATCOM, said, “The AVIATOR 200 offers in-flight broadband communication to aircraft of virtually any size as it utilizes a low gain antenna. We are particularly pleased to add the Brazilian approval to the FAA and EASA STCs already developed with Pro Star for King Air. This is a world-wide solution which can now benefit many more people. It represents another key step forward in enabling more users to take advantage of modern in-flight communications in the South America region.”

Other Inmarsat SwiftBroadband SATCOM providers, such as ARINC, can offer business jet operators seamless global connectivity with its unique partnership with the Iridium satellite networks.

Duncan Aviation Break Milestone 500 In-flight Broadband Systems

August 4, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Business Aircraft Broadband ProvidersEchoing an industry-wide sentiment, Mike Minchow, Completions and Modifications Manager for Duncan Aviation said, “There is strong market demand for products that increase the productivity of business aircraft. Wireless internet certainly filled a need for business aviation, and Aircell has been a leader in that market. On-board Wi-Fi has completely transformed the travel experience, allowing operators to be much more efficient in the air and allowing for a true office-in-the-sky experience. Combining the benefits of our Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) and multiple locations, we’re able to offer owners a great deal of flexibility as well as the confidence that their aircraft is in the care of the most experienced technicians in the industry and a company known for its service and support”.

He spoke after Duncan Aviation reached a milestone 500 installations of in-flight broadband solutions, such as SwiftBroadband and Aircell GoGo Biz.

Business aviation passengers rate amongst the highest in terms of demand for in-flight broadband solutions, requiring seamless connections over long-range flights. The office-in-the-sky advantages for travellers needs include email, video conferencing, phone calls and fax operation, to name but a few. Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and Iridium solutions, such as those provided by ARINC Direct, can mean that there is no loss of signal, even when flying over vast oceanic expanses or Polar Regions.

Cabin Services to be Outsourced by Finnair

July 8, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other Cabin Services ProvidersTo help reduce operational costs, Finland airline, Finnair has announced its decision to outsource cabin services for 20 long and short-haul flights over the next two years. It is not yet clear about the related impact this will have upon current personnel.

This is not breaking news, as Finnair have been finalising cost-saving measures since March, particularly in the area of cabin services. Finnair has had a cost reduction program in place since 2011, aiming to reduce operational expenses by 18 million EUR. The options include personnel reductions including redundancy, temporary lay-off, hours reductions or a combination of all these options. The cabin services outsourcing plan will go ahead and will be trialled in order to determine the best course of action moving forward for the airline. Finnair will also examine the cost implications of setting up a subsidiary to take over the cabin services functions.

Ville Iho, Chief Operating Officer for Finnair made the following statement, “Finnair has once more met with representatives of the Finnish Cabin Crew Union (SLSY) in an effort to find a common cost reduction solution that would make it possible to avoid outsourcing. SLSY offered 2.9 million EUR in permanent, instant savings, as well as 4.8 million EUR savings that would be achieved within a 20-year time period. This is mainly the same as SLSY’s previous offer. In addition, as a new element, SLSY proposed approximately 4 million EUR temporary savings for a period of one year. In exchange, SLSY required two year protection against lay-offs. Unfortunately, this is too far from the savings that Finnair requires. We cannot continue with our current cost structure, which is why we need to make instant, permanent changes to it. We proposed a solution that would see 12 million EUR of the cost reductions implemented immediately and the remaining 6 million EUR over a longer period of time. Even this compromise did not lead to an agreement.

He added that partnership negotiations for outsourcing are proceeding well, with potential partners in Finland, Europe and Asia. No rushed decisions will be made and careful negotiation and planning will be ensured.

Satellite Passenger Connectivity Services Selected by Thaicom

June 16, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Passenger Connectivity Communications Providers

Thaicom, a leading satellite communications provider in Asia Pacific, has selected Hughes Network Systems to deliver satellite broadband technology for passenger connectivity for SE Asian airlines in partnership with Global Eagle Entertainment.

“Thaicom has expanded our In-flight Connectivity (IFC) offering as a part of our Mobility Services, utilizing the latest satellite-based communications technologies that have extensively served sea-air-land connectivity targeting customers in Thailand and Southeast Asia,” said Dr. Sakon Kittivatcharapong, senior vice president of Ground System Operations at Thaicom PLC. “With In-flight Connectivity our airline partners will gain significant advantages by reducing operational costs while adding more value to their services.”

As passenger connectivity in the rear of the plane is becoming as increasingly important to airline operations as the connectivity in the cockpit, airlines are feeling the pressure to provide end-to-end cabin services. Satellite networks partnerships give seamless passenger connectivity for in-flight broadband and in-flight entertainment at costs that are becoming more and more competitive. With the rules beginning to relax about the use of personal tablets in the cabin, and the bandwidth capabilities growing, we can soon envisage the marketplace competition getting decidedly heavier.

BaseOps International Announce Launch of Web-Based Flight Planning Portal

May 22, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Business Aviation Services ProvidersCurrent customers of BaseOps International will be able to look forward to utilising a new flight planning portal from June 2014. The company announced the forthcoming launch at the Geneva EBACE this week.

The web-based system will enable customers to plan routes and file the flight plans in addition to access NOTAMs and weather information, pre-order fuel and arrange aircraft handling, catering, hotels and even rental cars.

Web-based flight planning tools and services can assist military and business aircraft operators, providing secure and flexible solutions that are easily accessible from portable devices.

Other flight support services and flight planning tools providers, such as ARINC Direct for business aviation, bring packages that can be tailored to each individual customer, whether for a fleet of executive jets or for a single private aircraft.

4G Broadband for Business Aviation Connectivity

May 1, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Broadband for Business Aviation ConnectivityBusiness aviation connectivity is set for an upgrade next year with faster in-flight broadband speeds promised by Honeywell and AT&T. Honeywell have announced that they will be providing the hardware for a new 4G network service from AT&T that could potentially, based upon current capabilities, offer download speeds ranging from 16.65 to 66.11 Mbps and upload speeds of 7.43 Mbps.

These speeds could enable business aviation passengers to watch video, text and Internet surf in addition to the data messaging benefits for flight deck communications and cabin services.

Using the new Ka-band GX aviation service, these speeds promise to be the fastest to date.

Honeywell will provide the hardware, including antennas, for access to the network and will be developed to work with the Inmarsat L-band and new Global Xpress Ka-band satellite networks, giving connectivity the chance to stretch its legs beyond the continental U.S.

Business aviation currently enjoys global connectivity with other providers, such as ViaSat’s Yonder service and ARINC Direct’s range of passenger and cabin communications solutions.

European Certifications for Gogo’s Aircell In-flight Entertainment

March 26, 2014
Business Aviation News
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In-Flight Entertainment via Inmarsat SwiftBroadbandGogo company, Aircell are pleased to announce EASA certification for the installation of their in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems for Bombardier Challenger 300 business aircraft.

EASA has awarded Supplemental Type Certificates (STC’s) for their Aviator 300 and UCS 5000 systems. Aviator 400 brings Internet, email and voice applications for both passengers and crew using Inmarsat SwiftBroadband.

UCS 5000, introduced in October last year, gives the industry the first all-in-one router and media server and offers passengers seamless access to in-flight entertainment plus brings router functionality in one box. Passengers will have access to Gogo Vision; an IFE service with a comprehensive library of on-demand movies and TV, in addition to news, weather updates and flight information.