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GX Aviation Broadband Equipment Launched by Inmarsat

April 12, 2013
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Cabin ConnectA new Ka-Band delivered high-speed broadband service was on display for the first time for visitors to the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Expo last week.  GX Aviation, launched by Inmarsat, will be supported by new avionics developed by Honeywell and will be commercially available in early 2015.

Jack Jacobs, Vice President of Marketing Product and Management, Honeywell Aerospace said: “The consumer demand for fast, global in-flight connectivity continues to grow at a monumental rate. People want to be connected no matter where they are and have the same Internet experience that they have at home.”

The world-leading satellite communications company, Inmarsat, plans to change the face of in-flight connectivity with GX Aviation, designed to provide throughputs of up to 50Mbps with uninterrupted global broadband coverage, offering like-for-like, ground-based comparative connectivity.

“The world is changing and airlines are seeking to keep up with passengers’ expectations. Our new GX service, which can be combined with our existing L-band solution, enables airlines to capitalise on already installed hardware to provide high speed broadband service with complete geographical coverage for all aircraft requirements, both in the cockpit and the cabin,” says Inmarsat’s Miranda Mills, Vice President of Aerospace.

SwiftBroadband uptake booms

October 4, 2012
Business Aviation News
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The uptake of SwiftBroadband (SBB) services among business aviation users continues at a cracking pace. Simultaneously, ARINC Direct has continued to design and implement new products and services to support this.

Cabin hotspot functionality eases the burden of managing the costs of SBB by enabling usernames and credit card billing. This is an attractive concept, too, with charter operators, and has also been taken up by corporate flight departments wanting to manage costs and budgets across departments using the business jet. Other management functions such as usage alerts have also been added.

If a customer has SBB and uses ARINC Direct’s iPad app they have a completely dynamic aviation information platform that surpasses traditional methods of obtaining flight data. At the half-year mark ARINC Direct’s customer base in EMEA and Asia Pacific had already achieved over 15% growth. The ARINC app is available on the Apple iTunes store.

ARINC Direct has been at the forefront using web enabled technologies since the business unit was founded in 2003, and the increasing availability of web access, suitable hardware and client-based application technology presents new opportunities for the way in which it interacts with its customers. Almost half of all ARINC Direct customers are now using the iPad app.

For more information on ARINC Direct SwiftBroadband service please click here.

ARINC’s ‘Cabin Connect’ implementation for Virgin

October 3, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Virgin and ARINC have succeeded in various in-flight initiatives and the latest being a SwiftBroadband-enabled program that provides passengers with live audio content. The Virgin Atlantic passengers will be able to enjoy Wi-Fi connectivity to the Internet and communications products, including seatback messaging, live news and retail portals, allowing constant data connection from early 2013. The system uses a hotspot portal with bandwidth offered by Inmarsat Swiftbroadband.

“We are especially delighted that Virgin Atlantic Airways, a long-term ARINC customer for more than 12 years, is the first company to confirm it will take Cabin Connect on trial. Virgin Atlantic Airways is an airline that is internationally recognized for its strong commitment to enhanced passenger communications and as such is a perfect fit to launch Cabin Connect,” said Lee Costin, director of satellite solutions and cabin services at ARINC.

Fort more information about the Cabin Connect Solution please visit www.cabinconnect.aero.

ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering and integration solutions for commercial, defence and government customers worldwide.

ARINC Cabin Connect & Virgin

The Virgin VS Airbus A330 to be fitted with ARINC’s Cabin Connect

September 13, 2012
Business Aviation News
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The Virgin VS Airbus A330 to be the first Virgin aircraft to be fitted with ARINC’s Cabin Connect by March 2013.

ARNIC Swiftbroadband, an IP-based packet-switched service that has constant data connection is being launched with Virgin Atlantic. It benefits all passengers to access internet who can now use their own portable electronic devices via ARINC SwiftBroadband Wi-Fi Internet hotspots and providing oceanic satellite coverage. Cockpit and cabin needs, including flight plan, weather, and chart updates, as well as telephone, text messaging, e-mail, Internet and intranet access will be available.

For more information about ARINC Cabin Connect please visit their site.

In Focus: Next generation passenger connectivity from ARINC

September 3, 2012
Business Aviation News
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ARINC Cabin ConnectToday we are focusing on the brilliant facility of the Cabin Connect Suite offered from ARINC for both passengers and air crew. Cabin Connect has next generation connectivity and enhanced bandwidth provided by a partnership between ARINC and SwiftBroadband.

SwiftBroadband is one of the best, maximum cost effective, global, packet switched satellite communications networks available today. With a combined aviation experience of over 100 years airlines can make the most of the technical expertise of two industry leaders, ARINC and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband.

With ARINC’s Cabin Connect Solution passengers can surf the internet using their own electronic devices which can promote passenger loyalty to your services. In turn Cabin Crew can become more efficient by offering a better level of customer service by using ARINC’s AirCrew Connect. For those key passengers, Cabin crew can now act as a concierge service.  They would be able to remedy customer service issues straight away by having a direct link back to the head office, or ground team whilst in flight and experience an increase in operational the efficiencies.

For additional information please visit: cabinconnect.aero

Realise the potential of next generation passenger connectivity

August 30, 2012
Business Aviation News
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ARINC are offering airlines the next generation of passenger connectivity and personal electronic device support with their product Cabin Connect.

ARINC work in partnership with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband solution to deliver enhanced bandwidth so that airline passengers can now surf the internet, send and receive email, and use universal messaging all through their own portable electronic device, be that laptop, tablet computer e.g. iPad or Playbook, smart phone or portable gaming devices.

ARINC Cabin Connect SwiftBroadband

ARINC Cabin Connect SwiftBroadband

Alongside this ARINC offer AirCrew connect, a solution offering cabin crew connectivity to allow crew to become more efficient and offer a better level of customer service to passengers inflight. Cabin crew can now act as a concierge service for those important passengers, can collect real time CRM data as well as active fault finding and reporting. Anything that can be done on paper can now be logged and sent while inflight, allowing airlines to enjoy increased operational efficiencies.

Thanks to AirCrew Connect it is also possible to do real time fault finding, providing increased efficiencies as any issues with the IFE or onboard systems can either be remedied in flight (dependent upon the airline’s IFE hardware provider) or engineers can be booked to be waiting on stand for the aircraft to arrive at its destination, thus decreasing the amount of downtime the airframe requires.

Supporting various commercial models, ARINC can work with airlines to find the best unique solution to offer to your passengers and crew, creating differentiation and increased value that can help to promote passenger loyalty.

To find out more about the service please visit the ARINC Cabin Connect website.

In Focus – In Flight Broadband

May 28, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Last week we saw the BBC cover this topic in depth.

Onboard internet has been a reality for a while, but not many passengers use it at present, because of a mix of limited availability, speed and cost.

As interest in onboard wifi increases in line with the popularity of mobile devices we heard that Inmarsat plans to launch three new ka-band satellites into orbit in the coming years, with the first in 2013.

Onboard internet is delivered by various methods. In Ka-band passengers are offered a higher speed, and the antennas required for the aircraft are smaller, but the service is vulnerable to bad weather conditions, and fewer satellites are available. In Ku-band there are more satellites but frequency and spend is reduced.

ARINC are one supplier that offers aircraft internet services to the aviation industry. Branded as Cabin Connect they are able to offer enhanced bandwidth by Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and ARIN. Airline passengers can now surf the internet, send and receive email, and use universal messaging all through their own laptop, iPad or Playbook, smart phone or portable gaming devices.

ARINC says “Supporting various commercial models, ARINC can work with airlines to find the best unique solution to offer to your passengers, creating differentiation and increased value that can help to promote passenger loyalty.”

Contact ARINC Cabin Connect to find out more.

Aircraft Broadband - Passenger Communications

In-Flight Connectivity taken to the next level by Honeywell & Inmarsat

April 23, 2012
Business Aviation News
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The next generation of in-flight connectivity systems will increase onboard broadband speeds to 50mbps Inmarsat & Honeywell said this week.

Honeywell will develop the onboard hardware that will connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network, made possible by the use of the Ka-band, which is found between 26.5GHz and 40GHz.

Global Xpress is scheduled for launch in 2013, with global service availability for commercial, business aviation and government customers during 2014.

The deal between Honeywell and Inmarsat is exclusive and is estimated to result in US$2.8 billion for Honeywell in sales of hardware, customer service, and maintenance to airlines, governments and OEMs over the next two decades, according to a statement.

Inmarsat already works with ARINC to provide in-flight internet through their SwiftBroadband product in the “Cabin Connect” services. Thanks to the enhanced bandwidth offered by SwiftBroadband and ARINC’s Cabin Connect, airline passengers can surf the internet, send and receive email, and use universal messaging all through their own portable electronic device, be that laptop, tablet computer eg iPad or Playbook, smart phone or portable gaming devices.

These services are currently available for business aviation users here: cabinconnect.aero.

ARINC sees Cabin Connect deal imminent

April 4, 2012
Business Aviation News
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This week FlightGlobal reported that ARINC expects to have a launch airline customer for its wi-fi hotspot product Cabin Connect flying before the end of this year.

ARINC Cabin Connect Passenger Communications

ARINC Cabin Connect Passenger Communications

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was at the APEX Expo last September  that the company debuted its Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-supported wi-fi solution. “We expect it to be flying commercially before the end of the year,” says ARINC’s director, satellite solutions and cabin solutions, Lee Costin, adding a customer announcement is likely in “weeks not months”.

ARINC says it has had strong activity in its SwiftBroadband business since Inmarsat appointed it an aero distribution partner. “Last year was our first full year and we’ve had phenomenal growth,” says Costin.

Inmarsat is due to roll out enhancements to the SwiftBroadband service, and ARINC hope to benefit from this. Enhancements include multiple voice channels and data speed increases from 432kbps to 700kbps. Further ahead this will be followed by Inmarsat’s Ka-band Global Xpress system based on the new generation Inmarsat-5 satellites, set for the airline market in 2014.

For more  information please visit: cabinconnect.aero

Wi-Fi Internet in the sky via satellite

March 21, 2012
Business Aviation News
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Because they have few limits on bandwidth airlines are giving satellites a second look for delivering onboard Internet services to passengers.

Satellites are an attractive option for airlines that are still figuring out the best and most affordable ways to deliver Internet on flights.

Currently most U.S. carriers offering in-flight Internet, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, AirTran and Virgin America, use so-called air-to-ground technology provided by Illinois-based Gogo. This system only offers limited availability the aircraft must be flying over land.

Consultant Michael Planey says “Satellites offer broadband capability that gives airlines flexibility to offer more services to passengers”.

The commercial incentive for airlines are potential additional revenue sources that will require more broadband bandwidth, including streaming videos, online shopping, booking hotels and local destination coupons.

ARINC Cabin Connect - In-flight Broadband

ARINC Cabin Connect - In-flight Broadband

Onboard internet is offered by ARINC’s Cabin Connect Service. Passengers can now browse, email, IM, tweet, shop and more direct from their own device.

For more information on how ARINC’s passenger WiFi product can revolutionise the inflight experience please visit: www.cabinconnect.aero