Page 33 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

AVIONICS AVIONICS

MULTILINK AIRCRAFT AoIPConnect airline launch programmes and processes is a huge benefit. We will the use of cabin broadband connections to

are now underway with Cebu Pacific in

be able to move forward with better and
the programme and work is underway to

Asia, Wizz Air in Europe and most recently,
more efficient aircraft timing reporting
support this. The immediate focus of the
COMMUNICATIONS Azul Brazilian Airlines in South America, all and conduct data transmissions across our industry, however, is on the use of cellular.

entire network.”
adopting the solution.
The strength of our UAC portfolio

AoIPConnect capabilities offer another

We continue to extend this offering

through all major aircraft interface equip- important benefit for airlines in the face of ultimately is for airlines. It in the ‘U’ - for

unified aircraft communications, and

By Andy Hubbard, head of cockpit communications ment manufacturers to address the diversi- modified routes or who are adopting new connectivity as-a-service. As an integrated,

portfolio, SITA FOR AIRCRAFT ty of our customers' fleets. ones. With this option, carriers can contin- tech-agnostic force in the aircraft commu-
ue to exchange ACARS, even in areas where

nications field, we’re skilled in managing

AoIPConnect works by allowing carriers

to make use of ground 3G/4G, and soon, VHF/VDL coverage isn’t currently available. the complexity of multiple technology and

5G connectivity for ACARS data exchang- The alternative cost model and enhanced connectivity options, to give our customers

es. Not only does it interoperate with bandwidth offered by AoIPConnect also a simple and seamless user experience.
conventional channels, but it is more cost gives airlines a chance to take a fresh look This means our customers aren’t tied

effective, offers greater throughput and at their aircraft data offload practices. to a particular solution or scenario, and

frees up core VHF/VDL networks for priori- Instead of opting to save costs by leaving benefit from our multilink aircraft commu-

ty messages. rich, captured fleet data onboard, airlines nications landscape. This means an airline

Wizz Air’s technical services manager can harness affordable AoIPConnect to ex- need not worry today about what it wants

Konstantin Milarov said, “The ability to tract that data and reap the benefits of the to do with its aircraft messages, but rather

extend our datalink coverage and imple- insights held within, for their operation. who can offer the greatest flexibility in the

ment automatic ACARS-based reporting We see the next logical step being to add long term. Q

SPACE
PROPOSED SUPERSONIC JET
THAT MAY ATTAIN MACH 3

direction we’ve been taking for our aircraft maximizing the benefits of the connected ecently Richard Branson’s area

communications portfolio. Alongside aircraft and connected applications. Rtourism enterprise Virgin Galacti c

efore COVID-19, we’d been con- our ongoing upgrades to mission-critical Be it with our own EFB Weather Aware- unveiled the design of its proposed super-

Bcentrati ng all our aircraft commu- VHF/VDL networks worldwide, we’ve ness Service (eWAS) or other connected sonic jet.

nications efforts on delivering the services actively evolved our core offering to EFB applications, such as fuel or dynamic The corporate company has claimed the ul-

flight plan optimization, there are efficien-

commanded by a 21st century air transport encompass new generation IP links, such cies and savings to gain from connecting timate model of the car might carry between

industry. as SwiftBroadband-Safety, which provide cockpit applications inflight. 9 and 19 passengers and attain Mach 3, or

Sita For Aircraft experts from Rio de secure, globally available and high-through- Amid operational uncertainty, Unified thrice sooner than the velocity of sound.

put channels for aircraft data exchanges.

Janeiro to Riyadh were working to pro- Aircraft Communications provides the Virgin Galactic’s major focus is tourism

vide the coverage and capacity needed We’ve launched AoIPConnect, the industry’s underlying, multilink communi- enterprise, which strives to ship paying

to support overcrowded airspaces, and industry’s first ACARS over cellular service cations layer, designed and ready and able clients to the sting of area and again on the

data-driven, new generation connect- and helped airlines to optimise the use of to respond to particular airline needs in an corporate’s space plane.

ed aircraft. Together with air navigation cellular and in the near future cabin link, ever-changing operating context. However for years, Virgin Galactic has

service providers and technology partners, capacity for non-critical data offloads. By identifying and giving airlines the additionally signalled its curiosity in lever- Virgin Galactic Unveils Mach 3 Aircraft Design for High

we’ve been paving the way for an expected We are also readying to support Iridium's ability to better control their aircraft aging its area expertise to develop high- Speed Travel - Image courtesy Virgin Galactic 2020

doubling of passenger numbers by 2037, so new Certus connectivity solution in time communications data transfer preferences, speed, point-to-point journey.

operators can fly safely and efficiently for for full commercial airline service launch. we can unlock the benefits of data that, to The idea entails utilising sub-orbital Virgin Galactic has said its supersonic to “assist cleared the path towards use of

years to come. All this has already enabled us to build date, has been left on the aircraft, due to rockets to get folks from one level on Earth jet design handed a mission idea evalua- state-of-the-art sustainable aviation gas.”

Our Unified Aircraft Communications greater flexibility, responsiveness and transmission challenges and communica- to the opposite in a lot much less time than tion, which suggests the “design idea can Nevertheless, many questions concerning

(UAC) portfolio of globally-managed, overall data bandwidth into our services for tion costs. Our UAC approach helps airlines a typical airplane. meet the high-level necessities and aims of how long it will take to develop the plane and

fault-resilient connectivity services is here different aircraft communications domains. to seamlessly manage costs, serves varying These days, Virgin Galactic has began the mission.” the cost involved remain. With room for less

to underpin the industry’s response to the In a post-COVID-19 operating context, the priorities, and gives added assurance of eyeing supersonic jets as an alternative of Together with unveiling new renders of than a dozen or so passengers, it appears

'new world' challenges. As airlines manage industry is likely to accelerate its plans for service resilience, failover and business suborbital rockets with the intention to get the supersonic jet design, Virgin Galactic unlikely that ticket costs will be affordable for

a careful restart under tighter margins, UAC migrating aircraft communications to a conti nuity. vacationers to the place they need to go has revealed one more partnership, this the so called ordinary man in the street.

can give them the flexibility to choose the more multilink environment, which is why as shortly as attainable. And the company time with Rolls-Royce, to develop the pro- Virgin Galactic’s ticket costs for its vaca-

best-fit solution for them and their stake- we’re redoubling our focus to meet this NEW OPPORTUNITIES has said that it was getting some assistance pulsion wanted for the plane. tioner space plane are estimated at (US)
holders now and in the future. expected demand. Airlines continue to express an interest in from NASA with the intention to develop The two corporations have signed a $250,000, for example.

As our customers focus relentlessly
The corporate said the supersonic jet can

FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENCE on their recovery, we see an increased our innovative ACARS terrestrial cellular the corporate’s supersonic jets. non-binding memorandum of understand- accommodate customised cabin layouts in
ing (MOU) for the endeavour.
NASA has many years of expertise with

option as part of their overall aircraft

A dynamic aircraft operator environment appetite for leveraging new and existing communications strategy. Indeed, almost supersonic car expertise, and the company Virgin Galactic outlined just a few par- addition to Enterprise and First Class seats,

calls for a diverse multilink communications technology to drive efficiencies. We see every conversation we are having is at present engaged on a “silent” high- ticulars for the car, noting that it’s going which signifies there could also be a costly

ecosystem, and this is precisely the this focus playing out particularly around with airlines touches on the topic. Our Mach jet referred to as X-59 QueSST. to journey at 60,000 ft and that it’s going price ticket. Q

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