• ARINC vMUSE mobile provides flexible check-in capabilities for airlines

Las Vegas, Nevada | September 9, 2015– Lufthansa passengers will be able to check-in faster at the airport due to the implementation of Rockwell Collins’ new ARINC vMUSE™ mobile passenger processing solution. Lufthansa is the first airline to implement this new technology, which gives it the ability to check-in travelers wherever and whenever needed.

ARINC vMUSE mobile is the first entirely mobile common-use passenger processing (CUPPS) compliant solution for the aviation industry. The solution enables airlines, airports and ground handlers to use a tablet-based application to launch passenger check-in service in minutes, wherever there is an internet connection.

“ARINC vMUSE mobile is ideal for airlines and their crews because it provides the same security and reliability of our traditional IATA-compliant CUPPS, but does not require any installation time, software configuration, telecommunications lines or added technical resources,” said Christopher Forrest, vice president of Global Airports for Rockwell Collins. “It is an ideal solution for queue-busting when unexpected events impact scheduled operations, or to offer an added level of service for elite passengers.”

“We want to create a positive experience for our customers while making our operations as efficient as possible,” said Gerald Prokasky, Director, Passenger Check-in & Baggage at Lufthansa. “ARINC vMUSE mobile helps us do both: it enables our agents to go where our customers are—whether to reduce lines at the airport or enable check-in at an offsite location like a hotel. And, because it does not require a significant investment in infrastructure, it is a cost effective solution for our airline.”

  • cGroup IT Solutions Simplify the Management of CUTE Systems

Kelsterbach, Germany | September 7, 2015– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will unveil its new cGroup product line at the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Global 2015 in Las Vegas. At its booth at the show, the aviation IT specialist will demonstrate three new IT solutions which aim to support airlines working with CUTE systems. Over 650 trade visitors and experts from all over the world will attend the FTE Global between September 9 and 11 to find out about and discuss the latest developments in the field of passenger and baggage processes.

CUTE stands for Common Use Terminal Equipment. This software solution for airport operators enables airlines to make common use of existing airport IT infrastructures. In other words, they can all use the same hardware to handle passenger and flight processing via their own servers. There are currently dozens of versions of CUTE systems in use for passenger and baggage check-in all over the world. This diversity makes it difficult for airlines to use interfaces efficiently.

Lufthansa Systems has for many years offered airlines a service covering all aspects of CUTE – including setting up applications or carrying out updates and maintenance. With cGroup, this service has now been enhanced with the addition of three IT solutions. “Most airlines use CUTE systems for their ground handling. When these processes are disrupted, however, it can result in air traffic delays, and these can prove very costly. This is precisely where our cGroup products come in, helping airlines to deploy their CUTE systems more efficiently and monitor them reliably worldwide,” says Björn Steinbrecher, Head of CUTE Integration & Access Products at Lufthansa Systems.

cGroup comprises three products: cFront, cTraffic and cChart. cFront acts as an adapter between the various airport-based CUTE systems and the airline’s own applications.

The software offers easy, standardized access to an airline’s IT systems and supports all leading CUTE platforms as well as the new CUPPS (Common Use Passenger Processing Systems) standards.

cFront is supplemented by two monitoring tools: cTraffic is an integrated platform that monitors all of an airline’s business processes at all of its airports. This overview of all common-use airport platforms helps to optimize passenger handling and reduce downtime. The cChart monitoring tool is aimed at senior management. It conveys at a glance the current status of all CUTE platforms and provides immediate warning of any cancellations or disruptions.

Each year, numerous executives from the travel industry – from airlines and airport operators to ground handling specialists and government bodies – get together at FTE Global. In addition to the trade fair, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, there are interactive forums on topics such as cooperation, connectivity and mobile and portable technology.

You are welcome to visit Lufthansa Systems’ booth E1 at FTE Global, where our experts will be on hand to tell you more about our new cGroup product line.

Paris | March 10, 2015– Rockwell Collins today unveiled ARINC vMUSE™ mobile, the first entirely mobile common-use passenger processing (CUPPS) compliant solution for the aviation industry. ARINC vMUSE mobile enables airline and ground handling agents to utilize a tablet-based application to check-in passengers from anywhere in an airport when traditional CUPPS systems are not enough. The system is being demonstrated in stand 4045 at this week’s Passenger Terminal Expo 2015.

ARINC vMUSE mobile enhances an airport’s existing common-use infrastructure, reducing queues resulting from irregular operations or spikes in passenger traffic by enabling airlines to launch passenger check-in service in minutes, wherever there is an internet connection.

“Weather, maintenance and other factors that can cause flight delays or cancellations wreak havoc with an airport’s schedule and are a major source of frustration for passengers,” said Christopher Forrest, vice president, Global Airports for Rockwell Collins. “When irregular operations occur, ARINC vMUSE mobile allows agents to go anywhere in the terminal to process passengers quickly and cost effectively.”

ARINC vMUSE mobile allows each airline to access its own check-in application no matter where they are in the airport. Using a tablet PC and peripherals housed in a secure protective casing, ARINC vMUSE mobile provides the same security and reliability of the company’s traditional IATA-compliant CUPPS, but does not require any installation time, software configuration, telecommunications lines or added technical resources.

“ARINC vMUSE mobile fills a need for airports, enabling them to take a full CUPPS where traditional systems are unable to go,” said Forrest. “Beyond the airport, ARINC vMUSE mobile opens up a number of unique passenger processing opportunities that include off-airport check-in, processing for start-up operations and onboard passenger processing.”