November 14, 2017–

International carrier Malindo Air, CAPA 2016 Asia Pacific Regional Airline of the Year, is the latest airline taking strides to digitally transform its cockpit with SITAONAIR.

The partnership will see Malindo Air benefit from SITAONAIR’s position as a leading pilot and flight operations digital transformation specialist and solution integrator, helping enable digitized cockpit operations.

Pilots across Malindo Air’s full fleet of 737s will be equipped with SITAONAIR’s complete Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution by the end of 2017, replacing their existing paper-based processes. The addition of the EFB solution will compliment the AIRCOM® FlightPlanner and Datalink Services already equipped across the Malindo Air fleet.

SITAONAIR’s bespoke EFB solution for the airline’s full fleet of 32 aircraft, involves activating the leading iPad-based Aviobook EFB within SITAONAIR’s secure ATI Cloud-hosted ground server, automatically distributing operational data to the pilots’ tablet. To date, all 32 aircraft cockpits are on track to activate the new EFB solution by year end, a timely delivery that will smoothly introduce new ways of working for pilots, particularly in their interactions with dispatchers.

Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Malindo Air, says: “Digitizing our work flows and processes to enhance our flight operations is a core part of our airline’s vision. We embraced technology to keep up with our fast growing business. This solution will help our pilots with better efficiency and accuracy. We, and our pilots, are very pleased with how the implementation of EFB by SITAONAIR is taking shape.”

Katrina Korzenowski, Vice President for Asia-Pacific at SITAONAIR, says: “SITAONAIR is proud to support Malindo Air in realizing its ambitions for the digital advancement of the cockpit. Embracing our complete, digitally-integrated EFB solution, supported by the ground-based SITAONAIR AIRCOM® ServerPlatform, means pilots no longer have to grapple with excessive loads of paper documents, binders and forms.”

“Being able to access all the vital information they need for a smooth flight, in digitized formats available at their fingertips, is a real advancement for pilots, enabling them to focus on the flight, confident they have the latest, connected information from a wealth of integrated modules including OFP, Weather and NOTAMs from SITAONAIR’s FlightPlanner System.”

To find out more about SITAONAIR’s connected aircraft solutions portfolio for the cockpit and airline operations, visit www.sitaonair.aero, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact or submit an enquiry form.

• MOU recognises SwiftBroadband-Safety’s market leading position and potential to increase airline profitability, capacity and safety through digital cockpit solutions

United Kingdom | October 19, 2016– Inmarsat (ISAT.L), the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to appoint SITAONAIR as a distribution partner for its next generation SwiftBroadband-Safety aviation service.

A pre-agreement between the two companies has outlined the intention for SITAONAIR to supply commercial airlines and business aviation operators with SwiftBroadband-Safety, an advanced new service from Inmarsat that will transform cockpit and aircraft operations.

SwiftBroadband-Safety represents a paradigm shift in the advancement of aviation safety services by utilising secure IP-based broadband connectivity that far exceeds the capabilities of other alternatives in the market. The ‘always on and always secure’ solution enables a range of breakthrough aviation applications, including flight data streaming (‘Black Box in the Cloud’) and real-time Electronic Flight Bag applications, such as networked graphical weather.

It also enables air traffic management modernisation programmes throughout the world and fulfils the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System (GADSS), including flight tracking, by offering reliable and secure satellite surveillance and communications (FANS/ACARS).

SwiftBroadband-Safety hardware is available for initial retrofit installation on existing aircraft today and is scheduled to become a standard option on new aircraft deliveries from 2018. The service builds on Inmarsat’s reputation as a provider of high-quality voice and data service to 95% of the world’s trans-oceanic aircraft fleet.

Inmarsat’s MoU with SITAONAIR marks the latest expansion of a successful partnership between both companies. SITAONAIR is currently a major distributor of Inmarsat’s Classic Aero satellite communications service and will now be able to provide migration options for existing customers to SwiftBroadband-Safety. It also provides the global aviation industry with access to Inmarsat’s current in-flight broadband service, SwiftBroadband, and its next generation offering for commercial airlines (GX Aviation) and business aviation (JetConneX).

SwiftBroadband-Safety has received a lot of industry support that has reinforced its status as the flightdeck communications platform for the future, including its recent selection by Airbus for its A320 and A330 aircraft families, and successful ongoing trials by Hawaiian Airlines.

Frederik van Essen, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, said: “SITAONAIR has been a trusted partner of Inmarsat for over 25 years. Together we have been providing benefits for the wider airline industry, such as enhancing trans-oceanic flights, optimising routes and reducing fuel consumption. We plan to continue this progress in the future as the benefits of secure broadband are brought into the cockpit.

“The aircraft is now a fully connected node of the airline’s IT network. Inmarsat is the only global provider to offer both reliable, secure cockpit communications as well as the most advanced passenger connectivity, allowing our airline customers to customise data solutions.”
David Lavorel, CEO of SITAONAIR, said: “SwiftBroadband-Safety is a transformational step for the industry and we are proud to include it in our service portfolio as a powerful enabler of SITAONAIR’s nose-to-tail connectivity solutions. Through our engagement with the airlines, SITAONAIR believes the industry is ready to embrace SwiftBroadband-Safety’s secure IP-based services to the cockpit. We are developing services and applications that will leverage this secure IP-based communications services platform to enhance both safety and operational efficiency.

“We aim to offer simple service packages that include generous data allowances to ensure that managing crew communication costs becomes much simpler and enable airlines to fully unleash the potential of next generation cockpit and air traffic control technology. These packages will also power global worldwide flight tracking at no additional connectivity cost. We are pleased to extend and expand our work with Inmarsat in delivering this new capability.”

• Arconics now offers its market-leading aviation document software as a quick-to-deploy, tiered solution for airlines of every fleet size, any aircraft mix

Dublin, Ireland | July 19, 2016– Arconics is on a mission: to make nextgen safety and compliance software available to air carriers of every size, while helping airline pilots perform more effectively. Our business strategy is to make our software even more affordable, so we have developed a tiered offering around AeroDocs. AeroDocs is the market leading, aviation grade, safety and compliance software for the controlled distribution and viewing of airline documents and manuals.

AeroDocs is available in three solutions, each designed to meet different needs. The upgrade path is easy and the software is scalable to any fleet size.

AeroDocs CONTROL – The fast track to the paperless cockpit

Incorporates the document distribution and viewing modules and is designed to appeal to airlines that want to adopt the paperless cockpit and also airlines that are currently using weak solutions, often from more than one supplier. AeroDocs ensures complete control over an airline’s processes and documentation. Boasts the world’s best pilot EFB viewer. SaaS.

AeroDocs COMPLIANCE – Adds nextgen XML functionality for pilots and compliance

Adds XML editing module to distribution and viewing functionality. Enables easy XML editing of Airbus and Boeing manuals, as well as general ops manuals in one seamless system. Advanced regulation tagging helps ensure regulatory compliance. SaaS.

AeroDocs ENTERPRISE – Delivers efficiencies from the cockpit to the boardroom

Full product functionality suite, fully customised to handle an airline’s ops and corporate document needs. The ultimate document safety and compliance solution for aviation. Installed on airline’s own servers, enterprise license.

In announcing the AeroDocs tiered offering, Arconics CEO, Niall O’Sullivan, said:

“With this exciting development, Arconics is committed to offering the best possible solutions at the best possible value to airlines, during deployment, in operation effectively from day one, and for many years into the future. AeroDocs is currently deployed at some of the world’s leading airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Philippine Airlines and Aer Lingus, and we look forward to delivering document safety and compliance solutions to many more airlines, any fleet size, every aircraft mix.”

Airlines that plan to deploy the paperless cockpit, are gearing up for an IOSA audit, or need to ensure risk mitigation in their document and information availability, can request an online demo of AeroDocs at www.arconics.com

• Next generation safety solution will be offered to airlines on popular A320 and A330 families
• Landmark agreement positions SwiftBroadband-Safety as a Light Cockpit Satcom solution on single-aisle aircraft and reinforces Inmarsat’s leadership in cockpit safety communications
• Opens up provisioning of Inmarsat’s digital aviation safety applications, including continual positional awareness for flight tracking and the ‘Black Box in the Cloud’

United Kingdom | June 30, 2016– Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced today that its SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) service has been selected by Airbus as a cockpit communications solution for the A320 and A330 aircraft families.

In a landmark agreement, SB-S will feature in the popular Airbus A320 single-aisle and A330 wide-body families. The advanced IP-based broadband communications platform will be available with equipment from Cobham’s AVIATOR S series, as selected by Airbus, to deliver next generation services for the global aviation industry.

SB-S will mark a paradigm shift in aviation safety and efficiency. Using Inmarsat’s global L-band satellite network, it delivers much faster data and voice communications due to its unprecedented speed and capacity, which are several orders of magnitude greater than cockpit communications systems in the market today.

These advanced capabilities will transform the quality and security of cockpit communication and information shared between pilots, air traffic controllers and airlines, with Inmarsat’s satellite technology also ensuring consistent, high-speed global coverage for SB-S.

Airlines around the world will also benefit from a myriad of new digital applications never before available, including continual positional awareness for flight tracking, flight data streaming (also known as ‘Black Box in the Cloud’), and electronic flight bag applications for pilots, such as graphical weather for improved situational awareness.

The selection of SB-S by Airbus reinforces Inmarsat’s status as the world’s leading provider of satellite safety services, serving around 95% of the world’s long-haul aircraft.

The inclusion of the A320 family will also position SB-S as an advanced Light Cockpit Satcom solution on single-aisle Airbus aircraft, marking an exciting new era for the aviation industry. The selection was possible as SB-S is delivered via advanced airborne equipment that addresses factors which have traditionally impacted demand in the single-aisle market, such as size, weight and cost. Around eight out of ten commercial aircraft in the world are single-aisle.

Captain Mary McMillan, Inmarsat Aviation’s Vice President, Safety and Operational Services, said: “We are delighted that Airbus has selected SwiftBroadband-Safety for its A320 and A330 aircraft families. This is testament to SwiftBroadband-Safety’s ability to deliver an always on, always secure cockpit solution for the digital age, with expanded connectivity and reliability.

“Inmarsat has been delivering critical safety information to the world’s airlines, private jet operators and government agencies for over two-and-a-half decades. In the past, these services were almost exclusively utilised by airlines travelling in areas not served by traditional radar, such as routes over the ocean or remote locations. However, with growing aircraft congestion and the need for increased data security, Inmarsat is engineering a new generation of satellite communication services to provide a wider range of benefits.

“SwiftBroadband-Safety will introduce unprecedented new capabilities, allowing airlines to significantly improve flight safety operations and provide a more efficient service to passengers. Airlines also benefit from continuous monitoring of aircraft performance and fuel usage.”

Inmarsat’s partner Cobham SATCOM has been selected by Airbus to provide the equipment that delivers SB-S service onboard the A320 and A330 aircraft families. The equipment, known as the AVIATOR 200S and 700S, will provide a seamless connection between the aircraft cockpit and Inmarsat’s extensive global satellite network. Under Cobham’s contract with Airbus, the equipment will be fitted onto the aircraft from 2018.

Kim Gram, Vice President of Aero Satcom at Cobham Satcom, said: “Inmarsat has made an immense contribution in the forward progression of our industry, from the development of the original idea of smaller and lighter satcom hardware, continuing its influential work in industry standardization groups, to the ultimate deployment of services on its global satellite network.”

Hamburg, Germany | April 7, 2016– Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, has signed a Heads of Terms (HoT) agreement with Beijing Marine Communication & Navigation Company Ltd. (MCN), which will lead to the creation of a joint venture (JV) to provide aircraft cabin and cockpit connectivity solutions in China’s fast-growing commercial aviation market.

The Inmarsat services that would be provided through the JV include Global Xpress (GX) Aviation and SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S). The final agreement is expected to be signed later this year.

GX Aviation will launch this year as the world’s first broadband in-flight connectivity solution with seamless, end-to-end global coverage. Passengers will be able to browse the internet, use social media, stream online videos, download files and more using their smartphones, tablets and other Wi-Fi enabled devices, with a similar quality of service in the air as they would receive on the ground.

SB-S is a next generation cyber secure flight deck communication platform, enabling airlines to meet the ICAO mandate for sub-15 minute tracking of all aircraft, Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC)’s four-minute mandate, Automatic Dependent Surveillance and electronic flight bag updates. Combining L-band satellite connectivity with advanced avionics, it delivers speeds 10 times faster than existing Classic Aero services to provide airlines with cockpit communications for the digital age.

Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “China is one of the world’s fastest-growing commercial aviation markets and when the proposed joint venture with MCN is finalised, the new company would provide the country with access to the most advanced cockpit and cabin connectivity solutions available today and in the future.

Inmarsat and MCN already have a successful track record of working together and we congratulate them on the recent milestone of securing their basic telecom licence, enabling legal provisioning of passenger connectivity in China. Extending our long-standing partnership allow us to build on the significant interest that we have received in the market to date, with Air China set to trial GX Aviation this year.”

Song Zhen, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for MCN, said: “Together, Inmarsat and MCN have been supporting important developments in the Chinese aviation industry for some time. Air China, for instance, operated the country’s first flight equipped with in-flight connectivity in 2013, using Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband to power the service on board its Airbus A330 between Beijing and Chengdu. With the introduction of next generation solutions, such as GX Aviation and SwiftBroadband-Safety, it is the perfect time to strengthen our partnership with a joint venture that is committed to ensuring China has access to the latest connectivity technology.”

MCN has been an Inmarsat partner since it was founded by China’s Ministry of Transportation in 1979. It unveiled an initial framework for the aviation joint venture with Inmarsat last year, while signing an agreement to bring the high-speed GX connectivity service to commercial and public sector organisations in China’s maritime, enterprise and government markets.

Inmarsat’s relationship with China dates back to its foundation in 1979 as an international, intergovernmental organisation, providing global safety and distress communications services for the maritime community. Today, China is one of the fastest growing markets for Inmarsat’s mobile satellite-based voice and broadband services, delivering double-digit growth in the last five years.

Catering to the unique requirements of the Chinese market, Inmarsat has an office and demonstration lab in Beijing, equipped with various terminals and solutions to support product demonstrations and end-user training. A satellite access station, owned and operated by MCN, is also located in the capital and exclusively handles all traffic from China over the Inmarsat network.

Last year, Inmarsat welcomed the President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Xi Jinping, to its London headquarters as part of his historic State Visit to the UK, reflecting the close working relationship between Inmarsat and China. President Xi viewed Inmarsat’s Network Operations Centre to understand how the company is able to uniquely contribute to China’s One Belt One Road (‘OBOR’) strategic vision through the provision of critical global mobile broadband connectivity services, including the revolutionary new GX service.

If you are wondering why and IFEC newsletter features an airplane cockpit display its because we know you monitor two or three LCD displays (OK, e-Ink too) when you fly but so does the flight crew, and thus, we thought you might like to see them. Being bigger is truly better for flying, but also being LCD, the data source can be flexible for safety reasons, all switchable by the crew. Hey, it beats the fixed source electromechanical displays! We thought our readers might like to see where the cockpit display size is heading and the new Boeing 737 MAX is the perfect example. If you have not seen the wonderful Rockwell Collins large-format displays, check out this week’s rectangle image or download it for your desktop or screensaver image!

According to the company: “The Boeing 737 MAX took its first flight in Renton, Washington, making it the latest next-generation Boeing aircraft to fly with Rockwell Collins’ advanced large-format flight displays. More than 3,000 737 MAX aircraft are on order with the first delivery expected in 2017. The new 737 MAX flight deck includes four configurable 15.1-inch landscape LCD displays from Rockwell Collins that will increase situational awareness and efficiency. The displays will serve as a foundation for NextGen airspace technologies entering the marketplace.” Now, if you have not seen the 737 MAX first flight, you can watch it here: Boeing Completes Successful 737 MAX First Flight – Jan 29, 2016 . Rockwell went on to say; “We share Boeing’s pride in watching the 737 MAX soar, right on program schedule. This first flight was especially exciting for us since it marks the first time that Rockwell Collins displays have been featured on a 737 flight deck,” said Steve Timm, vice president and general manager, Air Transport Systems for Rockwell Collins. They went on: “Today’s event also marks the continuation of a strong collaborative relationship with Boeing to bring these advanced displays and flight deck commonality to its entire fleet of next-generation aircraft. In addition to the Boeing 737 MAX, Rockwell Collins is providing its large-format flight deck displays on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777X, and the KC-46 Tanker. The displays are also an upgrade to legacy Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft.” The Boeing 737 MAX will feature four Rockwell Collins large-format, 15.1-inch LCD displays.

Editor’s Note: In the previously linked image you might note the HUD above the Captains seat – The head-up display is a Rockwell Collins product called Head-up Guidance System (HGS). It’s an option on the MAX (and the NG now, too), and is standard on the Boeing 787 (two of them, in fact, one for pilot and co-pilot). Rockwell told us the older HSI and ADI terms are now replaced by “PFD (primary flight display) and MFD (multi-function flight display)? The PFDs are on the outside and the MFDs are the two inner displays.”

Switching channels to the competition; on the Airbus front we found this: “The 737 MAX, like Airbus’ competing A320neo, is a relatively mild evolution of a mass-market airliner that has dominated the skies for decades. The original 737 dates back to the 1960s, improving over the years with different sizes and seating configurations, better engines, and longer range. The big thing with the MAX is the so-called LEAP-1B engine, promising 20 percent better fuel efficiency than the family of models it’s replacing. (The A320neo’s focal point is its new engine too and if you missed the A320neo first flight in Sept 25, 2014 here it is.”

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IFEC NEWS:

1. Gogo announced that its Gogo Vision product has been installed on more than 2,000 aircraft. The technology is disrupting the traditional “seat-back solution” model and has Gogo operating with scale as large as some of the biggest in-flight entertainment companies. Gogo is now the leading provider of wireless in-flight entertainment by a large margin and is making gains on becoming the largest in-flight entertainment provider in the world. “We know that passengers want entertainment on their own devices. We also know that almost everyone boards a plane with at least one Wi-Fi enabled device. Gogo Vision was built to take advantage of this trend,” said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo’s chief commercial officer. “It has become successful because weight matters in aviation. When compared to traditional in-flight entertainment solutions, Gogo is much lighter weight, requires less maintenance and is lower cost.” More than 2,200 commercial aircraft are outfitted with the technology and more than 1 million videos are being watched through Gogo Vision each month. The video content is stored on a server on the plane and delivered to a passenger’s own device through Gogo’s in-cabin network. In the past year alone, Gogo added its Gogo Vision product to more than 1,000 aircraft including aircraft operated by most major U.S. airlines. “We continue to develop digital products and services that leverage our connectivity technology in support of our mission: to advance aviation by connecting every aircraft,” added ElDifrawi. “Whether that’s giving passengers access to the Internet and a host of in-flight entertainment options or building products and services that support airline operations, we continue to build products and services that are advancing aviation.” Editor’s Note: To use Gogo Vision the next time you are on a Gogo Vision flight, download the Gogo Vision app.
   On another Gogo front Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO noted; “In addition to a record number of installs in 2015, Gogo has also grown its awarded backlog of 2Ku aircraft to more than 800 aircraft. The company is ramping-up installations and expects to have most of those aircraft installed by the end of 2018. I couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of 2Ku.” He went on; “2Ku’s position as the premiere technology for global aviation is playing out in the market. We’ve been getting a great reaction from global airlines as they fly and experience this proprietary solution.” Across commercial and business aviation, Gogo operates more than 11,000 connected aircraft systems all over the world. (Editor’s Note: You probably should also read the MRO Network article on “The Death Knell for Traditional IFE Systems!”)
2. IFExpress ran into McTavish Botts, who attended the 2016 MRO Middle East (MROME) and Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) meetings in Dubai this week. AIME is a two-day exhibition and conference that provides a for interiors suppliers, providers and buyers. It is co-located with MRO Middle East, an event delivering the latest innovations in aircraft interiors. AIME 2016 was held at Dubai World Trade Centre on 3 – 4 February. As the Middle East’s only aircraft interiors event, AIME 2016 featured over 278 exhibitors, over 4,500 attendees from over 100 countries, as well as some 100 airlines represented from around the world (over 700 attending) at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Representatives from local biggies like Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways were in attendance alongside many others who traveled from Africa, India and Europe to network and create relationships with the 278 exhibitors at the event. More importantly, Business Wire reported: “The Middle East is the second fastest-growing MRO market. By 2023, the MRO market in the Middle East will reach $7 billion, the result of 7.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).” We note that Mr. Botts provided the linked photos of the show and he asked us to show then to our IFExpress readers. Said Botts; “Of note, flydubai won the Inflight Magazine Best Airline Middle East Award (they have Lumexis FTTS IFE). Global Eagle Entertainment won best Middle East connectivity provider as well.” Botts didn’t give us the names of the other winners and for more about the show you might have to check Inflight Magazine FMI 

Images from MROME & AIME: Panasonic; Lumexis; Thales; Gogo; digEcor

Wedemark, Germany | November 23, 2015– Audio specialist Sennheiser is to withdraw from the pilots’ headset business from March 2016. The company will fulfill all its obligations for servicing and spare parts throughout the full guarantee period for its headsets. Headsets for the air traffic control (ATC) sector are not affected by this decision, but will continue to be marketed with the current ATC team under the responsibility of the joint venture Sennheiser Communications.

“Our decision to leave the pilots’ headset sector was not taken lightly, especially as we have played a key role in the development of audio transmission in the cockpit, for example by introducing the world’s first headset with active noise compensation to receive FAA-TSO certification,” explained COO Peter Claussen. “We will redirect our aviation-specific resources to focus on our key business of headphone and microphone technology.”

The company will, of course, fulfil all its servicing and guarantee obligations; generous transition periods have been agreed with airline and equipment partners. “Even after all legal obligations have expired, support can certainly still be offered in individual cases,” Peter Claussen confirmed.

Air traffic control headsets are to remain part of the Sennheiser product portfolio, and the current ATC team will join the headset specialists at Sennheiser Communications from January 2016. Andreas Bach, President of Sennheiser Communications, commented: “We are thrilled that we will be marketing the highly successful Sennheiser ATC headsets, and see great opportunities by exploiting the synergies that exist between the ATC business and our CC&O segment. ATC customers around the world can rely on our premium offerings and services.”