The global Wireless In-Flight Entertainment & Digital Services vendor incorporates UGOsmart to its technology suite. This new addition aims at empowering airlines teams with real-time data to monitor IFEC systems and adjust service offering
Paris, France | September 3, 2019– Display Interactive announces the launch of UGOsmart, its latest solution designed for airlines to better collect, centralise and analyze in-flight generated data. Designed for IFEC and ancillary airlines teams and updated in real time, UGOsmart feeds a smooth decision-making process. Combined with the flexibility and scalability of UGO IFEC solution, it ensures maximal IFEC operational efficiency.
With the launch of UGOsmart, the French company wants to provide airlines with a solution to address the main data analytics and visualization issues that the industry faces on a regular basis: overwhelming of information, inflexible analytics, and blurry visibility on IFEC ROI.
‘UGOsmart is not just a data analytics tool, but a seamless data visualization solution that presents animated data and tells business stories. We believe that this is the best way to transform data into insights, and most importantly, into tactical and strategic decisions. The power of UGOsmart resides also in its transversality, as it gathers diverse data for all airline’s members involved into a IFEC program.’ explains Tarek El Mitwalli, Display Interactive CEO.
With this seamless technology powered by Display Interactive, airlines can now:
- Better control onboard ancillary revenues and connectivity usage in real time, and compare it to previous periods and trends,
- Get instant insights of passengers’ behaviours and IFE preferences,
- Improve operational efficiency by closely monitoring the performance of their systems and implementing fast changes.
Delivering a 360° value with powerful technologies and ongoing services
Display Interactive launches UGOsmart after years of deployment of its wireless IFE system, named UGO, in well-known airlines. The new DataViz solution is the final piece for the IFEC provider to cover the full cycle of an IFEC program: from design and implementation of UGO entertainment & digital services platform, to its day-to day operations, and now the analysis and evaluation of results thanks to UGOsmart.
In addition to its technology suite, the French organisation accompanies all its airline customers with UGOlife, an all-inclusive ongoing full service support that guarantees operational efficiency as well as optimal durability and success. “Designing UGO and complementing it with UGOlife and UGOsmart was crucial for us, because airlines operate IFEC on a daily basis, and most legacy systems don’t provide any support to focus on the road ahead. Our philosophy has always been to empower airline’s teams and to keep the hassle of operational issues out of their minds. While UGOsmart allows our customers to make the right decisions, we can guarantee with UGOlife that these will result in immediate changes on the in-flight servers and therefore, in the passenger experience”. adds El Mitwalli.
(Image: Dinosaur Planet from the ARC 3D Map Suite of Young Explorers from Panasonic Avionics)
During AIX Hamburg Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC) focused on their position as a strategic partner shaping the future travel experience in conjunction with their airline customers and ecosystem partners. PAC said, “We are looking at ways to address the new era in travel that responds directly to changes in passengers’ expectations.”
You may well remember that during APEX Boston, the company launched their Wellness solutions – a collection of comfort and care technologies that promote well-being – and in Hamburg, they announced that Etihad is the official launch customer for the offering. “One of the biggest challenges air passengers face when travelling across multiple time zones is jet lag. To help passengers combat this, Panasonic, in collaboration with Detalytics, has developed a new innovation called Jet Lag Adviser, and this is being integrated into Etihad’s passenger app. The Jet Lag Adviser takes a range of passenger inputs including chronotype, circadian rhythms, height, weight, the nature of travel, and travel information such as flight times, routes and zones and uses its artificial intelligence engine to produce personalized jet lag plans for passengers with tailored advisories to help them reduce jet lag.”
They are also increasing their range of Wellness solutions with the launch of Calm and myNoise. Calm is one of the premiere apps for sleep, meditation and relaxation and will introduce a series of visual and audio enhancements for passengers that will be integrated into Panasonic’s Wellness solutions. Categories include Breathing & Meditation, and Nature Scenes to reduce stress and aid relaxation, Sounds & Music for relaxation and sleep, and audio Sleep Stories to help passengers rest. myNoise is a collection of soundscapes that travelers can listen to that facilitate relaxation, sleep, focus and enjoyment. Based on the elapsed time in flight and an individual jet lag schedule, Panasonic will recommend different soundscapes to help passengers relax, focus and enjoy their flight by reducing inflight anxiety and aiding sleep, neutralizing the ambient noise for a more focused mindset, and helping them express their creativity for the best possible experience.
One of their major announcements in Germany was the launch of the ARC Inflight Map Platform, which is a “revolutionary” 3D inflight map application and service for Panasonic’s NEXT and X Series IFEC systems. In a nutshell, ARC brings a wide range of innovative new features to the traditional inflight map application, while expanding that concept into a fully integrated experience within the IFEC system. In other words, the map has evolved into a service technology with extensive configuration options, improved passenger experience, premium point of interest content and analytics to optimize passenger interaction. “This is the first truly personalized map application,” said Andrew Mohr, Head of Innovation for PAC. Designed and built by Sweden-based Tactel, the development work is largely over and the product will enter into service in the first quarter of 2020. The short-term focus is on developing detailed content of regions so descriptions are available when an aircraft flies over them. Andrew is particularly pleased about ARC’s Suite of Young Explorers for children, which boasts features like: Dinosaur Planet (see the article image above), Pick a Planet, Design Your World, and new games, which will be announced shortly. “I’ve been advocating for a children’s moving map interface with dinosaurs for years!” said Mohr.
ARC goes hand-in-hand with another newly announced cloud-based service called Insights, which is a comprehensive data analytics offering that provides an in-depth view of onboard experiences to empower smarter business decisions. Insights capabilities include: diagnostics and descriptive analytics, predictive and prescriptive analytics, behavioral and sentiment analytics – all enable a personalized experience for the passenger and facilitate improved operational efficiency for the airline by harvesting onboard and third-party data from various passenger touch points including IFE, connectivity, location and weather monitors, as well as, social media. Oh, and of course, all this is done in real-time. Data analytics specialist Black Swan is working with Panasonic on the Insights project. When ARC and Insights are combined, a powerful tool is at the airline’s fingertips, or should we say wingtips!
All of these developments facilitate the concept of travel as the fourth place, which Panasonic focused on during their presentation in the Digital Trends Stream of the Passenger Experience Conference (covered in previous issue of IFExpress); as well as, during their press briefing at AIX. “We are the airlines’ strategic partner for shaping the future travel experience,” said David Bartlett CTO of PAC. “Imagine what flying could be like when a personally curated experience promotes, rest, wellness, and maybe even a sense of play.”
GOGO
Gogo Announces First Quarter 2019 Financial Results
Key Highlights for Q1 2019:
- Consolidated revenue of $200 million–at the high end of our preliminary estimated range of $197 million to $200 million provided on April 15, 2019
- Net loss of $16.8 million–39% year-over-year improvement
- Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $38 million–as compared with $11.9 million in Q1 2018
- Net Cash Used in Operating Activities of $(6.2) million; Unlevered Free Cash Flow of $11.1 million (1)
- Subsequent to the end of the first quarter, Gogo completed its previously announced offerings of $925 million aggregate principal amount of 9.875% senior secured notes due 2024 and commenced a tender offer for the outstanding 3.75% senior convertible notes due 2020
AIRBUS
- The first A330neo of the Americas has been delivered to Azul Linhas Aéreas on lease from Avolon, becoming the first airline from the Americas to fly the A330-900. The aircraft is the first of 15 A330neo ordered by Avolon. The A330neo, Airbus’ new generation A330 aircraft, will be used by the airline to expand its international route network between Brazil and Europe and the United States. Fitted with a three-class cabin accommodating 34 business class, 96 economy Xtra and 168 economy class seats, the A330neo offers passengers greater comfort along with the newest and the most advanced in-flight experience while the airline will benefit from the aircraft’s unrivalled operating economics. The A330neo is the true new-generation aircraft building on the most popular wide body A330’s features and leveraging on A350 XWB technology. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency – with 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation competitors. Equipped with the Airbus Airspace cabin, the A330neo offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.
- The first A330-900 widebody destined for Delta Air Lines made its inaugural test flight Tuesday from Toulouse airport. The highly fuel-efficient twin-engine jet, one of 35 Delta has on order, is due to be delivered to the Atlanta, Georgia-based airline in the coming weeks. The A330-900 is the larger of the two A330neo variants that Airbus launched in 2014. The A330neo brings significant efficiency improvements while also introducing the award-winning Airspace by Airbus cabin, which offers the newest and most advanced in-flight experience with extra personal space, larger overhead luggage bins, latest generation in-flight entertainment system and state-of-the-art ambient lighting. Incorporating the latest-generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, along with aerodynamic enhancements – including new extended composite wingtips which provide 3.7 metres of increased overall wing-span, as well as increased lift and reduced drag – the A330neo is a more efficient aircraft, delivering 25% lower fuel burn than previous generation aircraft and the lowest seat-mile cost in its category. The A330-900 range is 6,550 nautical miles in a typical three-class configuration.
- Deliveries April 2019: Airbus logged orders for a total of five A350 XWB and A330neo widebody jetliners in April and delivered 70 aircraft during the month from across its A220, A320, A330neo and A350 XWB single-aisle and widebody product lines. Deliveries in April were made to 35 customers. In the single-aisle sector, Airbus provided three A220s, and 57 A320 Family aircraft (47 in the NEO configuration, along with 10 CEO versions). For widebody jetliners, two A330neo jetliners were provided during the month, along with eight A350 XWBs (in both the A350-900 and A350-1000 configurations). Taking the latest orders, deliveries and cancellations into account, Airbus’ backlog of jetliners remaining to be delivered as of 30 April stood at 7,287 aircraft.
OTHER NEWS
Agreement furthers the U.S.-specific proposal which would protect C-band video and data transmissions and support accelerated 5G rollout by mobile operators
Luxembourg and Paris | July 12, 2018– Leading global satellite operators Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), SES (Euronext Paris: SESG) and Eutelsat (Euronext Paris: ETL) announced today that they are aligned on a market-based proposal for the future use of the lower C-band spectrum in the U.S. Eutelsat has agreed to join the breakthrough proposal initiated by Intelsat, Intel and SES.
The market-based proposal was developed in response to a proceeding initiated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The proposal reflects the unique U.S. telecommunications environment and aims to protect the quality and reliability of the extensive services provided by satellite operators in the C-band spectrum to U.S. broadcasters, media, and data companies. The proposal establishes a commercial and technical framework that would enable terrestrial mobile operators to quickly access spectrum in the 3,700 to 4,200 MHz frequency band in the U.S., speeding the deployment of next-generation 5G services.
C-band spectrum plays an essential role in the U.S. broadcasting ecosystem, delivering seamless distribution of video and audio programming to more than 100 million U.S. households, and reliably providing critical data connectivity in rural areas and emergency situations, as well as services delivered to the U.S. government.
The proposal specifies the use of a consortium, which is open to all satellite operators delivering services in the C-band downlink frequencies in any part of the lower 48 United States. The consortium will oversee the governance of the initiative, define and implement the methodology for spectrum clearance, and serve as the sole interface for market-based transactions with parties interested in deploying terrestrial mobile services in specific portions of the C-band.
With Eutelsat joining the proposal, the three satellite operators will continue to work with customers, other stakeholders, and the FCC on the market-based proposal. The next phase of this effort will begin with the FCC’s planned adoption of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Thursday, July 12. Intelsat, SES, and Eutelsat together represent a very substantial majority of the relevant satellite C-band spectrum in use in the U.S.
“We are pleased to be joining ths proposal which aims to create fair conditions for the shared use of C-band with mobile operators in the U.S. while protecting the quality of services provided to our customers over the long term,” said Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat. “By joining this collaborative process, we will be able to advance our interests and those of our clients and contribute to the momentum of the initiative.”
In a joint statement, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler and SES President and CEO Steve Collar said: “We are pleased to have Eutelsat join Intelsat and SES in this endeavor, demonstrating that the industry is able to unite, collaborate and fully implement our market-driven proposal. Our solution is the only one which will maintain the high quality of the hundreds of incumbent services operating in the C-band today, protect the significant investments in space and ground infrastructure delivering these crucial services while also supporting the U.S. goal of accelerating the 5G era.”
A year-long trial of the webFB smart AID/server enabled airline to streamline data collection and improve operational efficiency
East Aurora, NY | May 15, 2018– Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), a leading provider of advanced technologies for the global aerospace, defense and semiconductor industries, announced that Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) has selected the webFB® Wireless Electronic Flight Bag device, offered through its wholly owned subsidiary Astronics Ballard Technology. NAS will install the webFB on all of its Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft to improve and automate aircraft data collection.
“We are very excited to be working with Norwegian Air Shuttle on this project. Their application is an ideal match for the high- reliability ARINC 717 data capture capabilities of the webFB,” said Jon Neal, President of Astronics Ballard Technology. “They also recognize the tremendous advantage of a simple, easy-to- install solution that minimizes aircraft downtime and allows them to quickly retrofit their fleet and gain immediate benefits.”
Aleksander Geist, Senior Avionics Engineer with Norwegian Air Shuttle, says, “For quite some time, we have been searching for a solution to improve and automate the collection of aircraft data, which currently is a manual process using physical media. The webFB, in conjunction with our EFBs, offer a very flexible and cost-effective solution. Astronics Ballard Technology has been very responsive in our aircraft trials and we are pleased with the data acquisition performance and the long-term benefit it will have for our organization. We are already looking ahead to future use cases that will allow us to further leverage our webFB technology investment.”
Astronics participated with NAS in a year-long operational trial of the webFB to validate the suitability of the device in operation and the economic benefits of the solution. In the application, the webFB gathers data from the aircraft’s ARINC 717 databus and wirelessly routes it to the electronic flight bags (EFBs), where it is automatically transferred by NAS to a data center and used for post-flight analysis. With the webFB already operating on 10 aircraft, NAS will install the product on all of their additional Boeing 737NG aircraft.
France | March 12, 2018–SITAONAIR is delivering a next-generation connected aircraft ‘smart core’ that will significantly enhance airline data communications and operations. The company has partnered withAstronics Ballard Technology to provide an integrated product solution using their new webCS® Wireless Aircraft Communications Server along with SITAONAIR’s e-enabled application software.
This closely-integrated software and hardware solution greatly reduces deployment complexity and will bring even greater value to SITAONAIR’s airline customers – delivering enhanced capabilities and operational efficiencies – empowering airlines to realize the promises of the connected aircraft.
The ‘smart core’ brings together the vast connected aircraft data collected by SITAONAIR’s e-Aircraft® DataCapture solutions for cockpit, cabin, and aircraft operations. It then distributes this SITAONAIR-processed data onboard using Astronics Ballard Technology’s flexible webCS, a smart AID/server/router that securely bridges avionics data with wired and wireless networks in a single compact box.
SITAONAIR already plays a central airline e-enablement and data management role, in an age where the volume of data generated by aircraft has sky-rocketed from five parameters in 1958, to more than 200,000 today. As testament to its expertize, SITAONAIR last year launched its pioneering e-Aircraft® DataCapture solution – a result of the company’s collaboration with Air France to deliver ‘virtual black box’ flight recording solutions for automatic data collection.
Today’s offering of an integrated product will further enhance airline customers’ data management approach. The combination of SITAONAIR’s established portfolio of passenger, crew and flight operations solutions with Astronics Ballard Technology’s innovative hardware and strong technical expertise in the area of aircraft avionics interfacing, will form a central pillar of airlines’ connectivity and e-enablement strategies, delivered to airlines as a managed service.
Dominique El Bez, SITAONAIR Vice President, Product and Strategy, says: “Our new partnership marks an evolution in SITAONAIR’s e-enablement strategy and is a true hallmark of the connected aircraft age. The arrival of our smart core for an intuitive, integrated connected aircraft reinforces SITAONAIR’s pioneering open platforms vision, by encompassing complete, flexible and scalable aircraft data management solutions both onboard and on the ground.”
Jon Neal of Astronics Ballard Technology says: “We are extremely pleased to be selected by SITAONAIR to provide the secure platform on which to build this total e-enablement solution. We share their desire to allow airline customers to access their data to enable and empower better decision-making that will streamline and transform their operations.”
To explore the SITAONAIR connected aircraft portfolio, including its e-Aircraft DataCapture®, AppsConnect® and ACARS over IP services, visit www.sitaonair.aero, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact or submit an enquiry form.
February 7, 2018– Cebu Pacific Air, a leading airline in the Philippines currently operates a fleet of 56 aircraft comprised of A319, A320, A330 and ATR 72-500. The airline also has a further 50 aircraft on order which will be delivered between 2016 and 2021. With this anticipated expansion, the airline has decided to invest in pilot operations, to ensure that flight crew day to day operations, and their mission management are at the cutting edge. As a result they have selected the Aviobook Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution to digitise all their current flight dispatch documentation.
- Cebu Pacific Air will equip their flight crew with Thales Aviobook
- Full implementation of EFB solutions enables increased situational awareness and optimised flight collaboration with airline operation centres
- This contract has further broadened Thales’s expertise in avionics and airborne connectivity.
December 5, 2017–Further enhancing aviation safety and efficiency in Brazil’s airspace, air navigation service provider, the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), is working with SITAONAIR to expand ATS datalink services for main airports in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Following previous successful datalink installations, DECEA is expanding ATS datalink services for departure clearance (DCL) and digital ATIS (d-ATIS) for control towers at both Santos Dumont and Campinas airports.
The announcement marks an important step in the country’s role as the regional datalink pioneer, and will play a central role in the wider transformation and modernization program currently taking place across Brazilian airspace and airport infrastructure.
The latest upgrade program follows SITAONAIR’s successful introduction of datalink technology across 23 Brazilian airports in preparation for the World Cup and the Rio Olympics. Since then, Brazilian airlines such as TAM, GOL and Azul are leading the way, representing nearly 91% of total generated traffic. In total, more than 3.5 million d-ATIS and DCL messages are transmitted every year.
Brig. Luis Ricardo Nascimento, Head of Operations at DECEA says: “Following the major success of our existing airport datalink services, we are pleased to be working with SITAONAIR again to further expand services to important regional and international aviation hubs at Santos Dumont and Campinas airports.
“Our relationship with SITA, and now SITAONAIR, stretches back to the deployment of an ACARS VHF system in 1985, and we are very happy to continue making use of SITAONAIR’s vast aviation experience today.
“The latest expansion of ATS datalink services with SITAONAIR underlines both the strength of our relationship and our commitment to make flying in Brazil even safer, more reliable and more efficient.”
François Bardin, Director Air Traffic Solutions at SITAONAIR, added: “SITAONAIR is delighted to work with DECEA as it continues its transformation program, and we hope that this will encourage other ANSPs in the region to adopt a similar strategy.
“As well as the benefits to DECEA itself, the latest announcement marks another important step in the region’s connected aircraft revolution, allowing airlines and passengers in Brazil an even greater level of safety and efficiency.
“By improving the accuracy of their communications and allowing information to be transmitted at any stage of the flight, workloads for both air traffic controllers and pilots will be reduced – ultimately delivering an improved service for the ever-increasing volume of passengers in the region.”
To find out about SITAONAIR’s connected aircraft portfolio, visit www.sitaonair.aero, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact or submit an enquiry form online.
- First aircraft delivered to Southwest Airlines with Global Eagle Entertainment’s KU Band connectivity installed at Boeing factory
Long Beach, CA | September 25, 2017– Kontron, a leading global provider of embedded computing inflight entertainment and connectivity equipment, today announced the launch of Boeing 737 MAX line-fit deliveries in association with a one of its key customers, Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT). Securing line-fit offerability from Boeing and Airbus is a strategic priority for Kontron, given the resulting efficiencies that can be offered to airlines in terms of cost savings and eliminating the need to take an aircraft out of service. Global Eagle recently announced that its Airconnect 3.0 inflight equipment is the first catalog-offerable line-fit connectivity system available for installation during assembly of the new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Kontron began working with Global Eagle in 2015 to obtain Boeing line-fit approval for Kontron’s Server Management Unit, Modem Data Unit and Cab-N-Connect™ wireless access point. These Kontron designed and manufactured Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) are enabling components of the Global Eagle Airconnect 3.0 inflight Wi-Fi system. Airconnect 3.0 provides KU Band connectivity, IPTV and wireless IFE services to passengers and crew, and is already proven on 865 aircraft around the world.
To obtain Boeing line-fit approval for the three LRUs, Kontron worked with Global Eagle to develop an extensive qualification test program to the Boeing specifications for 737 MAX cabin equipment. The test procedures were successfully executed on the three LRUs by the combined Global Eagle and Kontron teams, with Boeing representatives witnessing. The final qualification test report was generated by Kontron and approved by Global Eagle and Boeing.
“Kontron’s aviation product development strategy includes the concept of line-fit readiness,” said Andy Mason, vice president technology at Kontron America. “This means Boeing and Airbus OEM requirements are considered during the product design and preliminary qualification phase. Our due diligence in creating a qualification test program matched to strict aircraft cabin specifications is proving useful for the future. Kontron is actively pursuing Boeing and Airbus line-fit qualification for our new ACE Flight™ 4608 Server and other avionics products.”
“Our collaboration with Kontron adds best-in-class inflight connectivity and helps to remove the worry of aircraft downtime and revenue loss for retrofit installations,” said Per Norén, Global Eagle Senior Vice President, Aviation.
Kontron will showcase its extensive line of certified IFE&C open platform solutions at the 2017 APEX Expo in Long Beach, California, September 25-28in Kontron Booth #533. For more information on its avionics product portfolio, please visit: https://www.kontron.com/industries/avionics
Posted by Patricia on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Filed under News Releases · Tagged with 737 MAX, access points, Boeing, data, IFE, line-fit, modem, server, Wi-Fi, wireless
Lido/Flight User Group Conference 2017: Lufthansa Systems’ customer event focuses on interaction, information and cooperative development
Raunheim | May 31, 2017– Lufthansa Systems today announced that it will present the first Integrated Flight Support prototype, the future core module of its new Lido/Flight 4D product generation, at this year’s Lido/Flight User Group (LUG) Conference. The conference will offer an insight into technical innovations related to the flight planning system as well as an opportunity for intensive interaction among the 170 product experts and customers attending. The LUG Conference is taking place from May 31 to June 1 in Paris, the headquarters of this year’s partner airline, Air France.
“Integrating different systems is an essential aspect of modern flight planning. Flight data is very dynamic. To get an overview of the current situation in the air, everyone involved needs the same sources of information. Airports, air traffic control and customer systems should be able to exchange data in real time. This is the only way for employees on the ground and on the flight deck to make right decisions based on the same information,” said Philipp Barzen, Head of Product Strategy Lido/Flight at Lufthansa Systems.
The core features of the Lido/Flight 4D flight planning solution are the integrated and continually updated aeronautical database and the optimizer. The system calculates the most suitable route for each flight based on all flight-related data, taking into account weather conditions and the current airspace situation including any restrictions. By migrating to the new product generation, customers will benefit from a modern architecture offering even better integration of relevant data from adjacent systems, a modern graphical user interface and display, 4D optimization and extensively automated flight planning and control processes.
Lufthansa Systems is taking an agile approach to the further development of Lido/Flight 4D. This means that customers are continually involved in the process. In addition to the two big annual customer events – the LUG Conference in the spring and the LUG Forum in the fall – the Lido/Flight-Team is holding workshops and gathering feedback on new features. The second release of Lido/Flight 4D R6.2.0 is planned for the fall of 2017 and will include improvements to crew briefing and route optimization. This is followed by another important milestone in the spring of 2018, a technical release with a complete migration to Linux. The prototype, which provides a glimpse into the future of Lido/Flight 4D, goes even further: It shows the new interface as well as other new functions, such as integrated navigation maps from Lido/Navigation.
“Along with the integrated map display, we are expanding our strategic cooperation with the Lido/Flight and Lido/Navigation product teams to create even better applications for pilots,” Barzen said. One example is the new Lido/mBriefing app, a mobile briefing solution with a direct interface to the Lido/mPilot mobile navigation solution.
During the LUG Conference, product experts will explain the new features of Lido/Flight 4D to customers in various sessions. They will also talk about the technical prerequisites for migration and discuss training concepts. Lufthansa Systems is thus taking a holistic approach to flight planning optimization and supporting its customers in the areas of further development and migration.
The product known previously as Lido/Flight has performed successfully in the market for more than 20 years. Since 2015, Lufthansa Systems has been working intensively on developing the new Lido/Flight 4D generation. Around 120 airlines with a total of more than 6,000 aircraft are currently using the flight planning solution from Lufthansa Systems. More than one half of all flights in Europe are calculated using Lido/Flight 4D. In various comparative analyses based on thousands of flight plans, Lido/Flight was able to reduce fuel costs by an average of 2 percent, cut flying times by 1.9 percent and save 1.6 percent of air traffic control fees compared to its competitors. Thanks to this savings potential, Lido/Flight 4D will pay for itself after an average of about one year.
France | Wednesday May 24, 2017– Air France (AF) and SITAONAIR today announce a new deal to deliver seamless aircraft data to AF’s top-flight operations and maintenance optimization programs.
Under the partnership, SITAONAIR’s new e-Aircraft® DataCapture solution will capture, dissect and deliver high-quality, immediate aircraft data, significantly bolstering performance monitoring across Air France Airbus aircraft. SITAONAIR’s deployment of DataCapture across AF’s Airbus fleet began in January 2017.
The e-Aircraft® DataCapture system works by collecting, compressing and encrypting an aircraft’s Quick Access Recorder (QAR) or Digital ACMS Recorder (DAR) data, and ensures it is automatically and immediately transmitted after landing, using 3G, to a ground server provided by SITAONAIR. The complete data is then sent to Air France’s data analysis system for instant analysis and response.
Many airlines manually collect aircraft post-flight and health data as part of an overnight maintenance regime, meaning a delay of hours after a flight has landed before data is retrieved.
Replacing manual collection with SITAONAIR’s automatic e-Aircraft® DataCapture equips airlines with instant detailed insight into their fleets, from how aircraft are operating, to investigating incidents and performing maintenance diagnostics.
This cost- and time-efficient solution also helps airlines optimize staffing resources and supports seamless transitions, which help reduce the time aircraft spend on the ground.
David Lavorel, CEO of SITAONAIR, says: “SITAONAIR has an excellent working relationship with Air France, with whom we have collaborated closely since 2014 on e-Aircraft® DataCapture. This is yet another example of how SITAONAIR’s 100%-aviation communications expertise is resolving the challenges faced by the modern airline industry head-on. With our intelligent new-generation data solutions, airlines have the tools to advance their critical flight operations and maintenance operation programs, and really deliver.”
Pierre-Yves Benain, Head of Portfolio and Strategy, e-Aircraft at SITAONAIR, says: “Our intelligent e-Aircraft® DataCapture solution is already making aircraft data easier for airlines to access; reducing data retrieval time from days to minutes, without mobilizing maintenance resources. Thanks to DataCapture, airlines can get an immediate detailed picture of all parameters recorded inflight by a QAR or DAR recorder. With our Cloud-based solution, our intention is to provide an end-to-end, expert data management service at business continuity level, freeing up airlines to focus on their core operations and engineering priorities.”
Air France’s e-Aircraft® DataCapture project leader added: “We are really pleased to be taking SITAONAIR’s e-Aircraft® DataCapture system onboard. It will enable us to complete the deployment of automated QAR/DAR data collection across our Airbus fleet for our Flight and Maintenance Operational Quality Assurance programs. SITAONAIR has been instrumental in the integration of the solution into our existing on-board hardware and ground systems.”
To find out more about e-Aircraft® DataCapture and our other aircraft data management solutions, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact, or visit www.sitaonair.aero/products/on-board-device-applications-and-services/e-aircraft-datacapture/
The top global mega-trends in airline travel clearly define the present and future of aviation travel today and a few of the changing keywords and phrases are defining terminology that drove the Singapore APEX show: Connectivity, Innovation, Individual Empowerment, and Productivity are just a few of the terms that stood out to us. Another way to put it is basically travelers are using technology to improve their travel experience, lifestyles, and their world in general. Makes sense! In fact, “Connected” was probably the most commonly used word and we heard and saw it in action all over the show, in the city offices/buildings/shops, and in travel – folks have their smartphones and tablets out everywhere and find them more interesting than just about anything around them. But more importantly, this connected, informational lifestyle change has affected the future of travel locally and internationally. You had better believe folks like the airlines, retailers, and Google see that connectivity is the future.
CONNECTIVITY & TRAVELING TODAY
The APEX Conference in Singapore clearly demonstrated that connectivity is the heart of travel by Millennials and the rest of the device focused population. Interestingly, some 40% of passengers carry all 3 devices – laptop, smartphone and tablet – and, yes, we did the same! One expert noted that some 83% of passengers carry a smartphone onboard while over 50% of passengers value onboard Wi-Fi as a key criteria in airline choice. This certainly explains the unofficial show focus on the subject of travel connectivity. It is what is needed and so it is what’s happening.
Mobile services are becoming a big deal: an amazing 57% of travelers are using self-service for check-in and some 89% are aiming to implement mobile check in and boarding by the end of 2016. And there is no end to the airline apps that provide utility and reward for uploading. One technical meeting even tried to sort out all the data communication and ticketing communication issues that exist because every airline and ticket information collection effort is different and standards are in need of development.
Make no mistake, connectivity is a big deal today but it is about to get even bigger. Presently, some 4,982 airplanes are “connected” aircraft, but by 2025 there will be 16,560 connected aircraft, and when we refer to the connected aircraft we mean passenger connectivity and airline operations data as there are already connections to and from the flight deck for pilots and flight critical information. Further, reported digital ancillary revenues are tracking connectivity growth. For example, one speaker reported that in 2015 revenues were $40.5 Billion and by 2020 they are predicted to reach $130 Billion!
Today’s modern traveler, as one speaker stated, is “embracing connected platforms, living online, and discovering more through digital technology” and by just visiting an airport you will find that statement true. And, of course, Google sees a place (market) in pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight, connectivity options – smart folks! As one industry panelist said: “The digital world enables the discovery of the real world!”
During APEX the IFExpress team talked to some 50 to 60 companies and we found a lot of real stories that we will deliver in the coming weeks; however, we thought that we would give our readers some hints, thoughts, views and temptations of what is to come in the next month or so.
WHAT WE SAW – SOME SURPRISES, SOME EXPECTATIONS
1) From a general perspective, companies were focusing on the end-to-end experience for the passenger. For example, enabling the airline to engage the passenger via the airline app after ticket purchase but before the date of flight. Continuing the engagement process through the airport, onto the aircraft and until the arrival at the hotel/home. This is mostly being implemented through software upgrades, software hooks, and data mining but there were some new products and services in the offering. Airlines want to be able to ‘engage’ their passengers more throughout the trip – providing a tailored experience even in drudge class.
2) This was a year where IFExpress saw more focus on software iterations vs. new hardware/technology developments. Mind you, this is a broad generalization as there were some updates to existing servers with larger SSD and one or two new technology applications being exhibited. However, on a whole we saw a focus on utilizing existing hardware with improved software to enable data acquisition to enhance the passenger experience and improve the real-time evaluation of aircraft operations all enhanced by increased memory. Both of these have been longtime goals either by the airlines, OEMs or both.
3) IFE vendors were also focusing on the ability to provide the airline with operations information real-time. For example, this will enable the airline to reduce down-time of aircraft, increase turnaround time when there is a mechanical issue. The benefits of real-time data acquisition will be achieved by utilizing the various methods of communication now available to the airlines – broadband (satellite), Wi-Fi, 3G/4G cellular, and gatelink. The method of transmission is determined by the critical nature of the data and the transmission environment. For example, if there was an engine issue, it could be transmitted real-time to the ground so a repair crew could meet the aircraft upon landing, facilitating a quicker turnaround of the aircraft and maybe even keeping the next flight’s departure on time, possibly through an existing non-engine data communication network. Obviously, certification of these and competitive solutions will greatly affect these connectivity solutions. But, all of this saves the airline money in the long run. Obviously this would work with more certainty for an IFE screen that was malfunctioning or a seat that was inoperable over a cabin connectivity ground-to-air link.
4) The aforementioned services also provide the vendors with the ability to offer the service of monitoring and evaluating other non critical (or not as critical) data to an airline – especially if the airline doesn’t want to analyze the data in house. This is a potentially new revenue stream for the vendors and possibly a field for new vendors.
5) Much of the software iterations we saw at the show allowed the airlines to tailor their GUI and media in house and real-time. As an example, airlines now have the capability to analyze whether movie “A” is being viewed as anticipated, if the viewing falls short of anticipated numbers the airline can switch it out with another option prior to the current media cycle being completed. This not only keeps the media fresh but allows the airline to get better value from their media expenditure. Also, the ease of using these software tools allows airlines to potentially have a smaller number of individuals working on media management. We should mention that with this approach to content monitoring the possibility of linked content loading is also an example of real-time performance monitoring.
6) With the advent of Wi-Fi, gatelink, etc. we are seeing faster media load times. We also saw the ability to load new content while the aircraft was in use as mentioned above. This all saves time for sure now, and money in the future.
7) Broadband solutions are finally coming online to make the aforementioned a reality by providing global coverage. Some vendors are investing heavily in either their own satellites or purchasing dedicated transponder space.
AND MORE OBSERVATIONS
8.) There were a few of 100+ airplane IFEC hardware deals pending (and done) that may be a surprise to some.
9.) There were a few new IFEC entrants comprised of young, technical developers who want a piece of the IFEC business and we will watch their growth. And yes, some of the troops were from the old school companies that have less to offer, or offer nothing at all new today.
10.) One company, and one company alone, offered a true Bluetooth in cabin wireless connectivity solution with both low data and high data solutions.
11.) USB – C is here and the folks from IFPL will have more to say about it in another story.
12.) As Ka-Band connectivity makes the scene we might even see lower competitive data products, but that is, of course, a prediction.
13.) One company in the flight path mapping arena blew our minds with the way their ‘Silicon Valley’ Top Dog showed IFExpress his plans to deliver a planned and plotted solution to your travel plans, in the air AND ON THE GROUND.
14.) Some new entrants to the IFEC madness have a couple seemingly good ideas that we had never heard of and plan to surprise us all soon!
15.) It is always a surprise to visit a vendor that told us what was coming last year and we missed the big picture – only to get a personal awakening this year. ‘Passenger connectivity before, during, and after a flight’ is the subject and the folks at SITONAIR really had their act together about it.
16.) Happy 25th Birthday GoGo!
17.) There is no place better on earth to throw an outdoor reception than Singapore: The top of buildings provide a view unlike no other on this planet, and they feature the best of everything. Thank You Gogo, Panasonic, Thales, APEX and everyone else that provided an incredible list of evening entertainment and hosting – you folks are the best! Be sure to check out our flckr link for expo images!
OTHERS SAID
IFExpress talked to many attendees about the show and we decided to share some of their comments with our readers:
1) Attendance was noted: “I was surprised how well-attended it was, considering all the people from North America that I knew would not make the trip.”
2) “Education Day on Monday before the EXPO had some very good presentations – Hopefully they should all be posted on the APEX website soon (audio and PP slides).”
3) We asked about technical/products announcements that made sense and one respondent noted: “FTS Technologies’ flight attendant app for the smartwatch was the best that I saw.”
4) Another area that really counts is networking and the value of getting together: “The networking was great – events were fun and talked with a lot of people.” We couldn’t agree more.
5) Industry news is always a big deal and we asked one news expert and she told IFExpress: “The biggest news had to be the Rockwell acquisition of BEA, depending on their strategy for ‘hands-off’ management vs integration into the Rockwell family. If RCI takes a hands off approach and lets BEA continue to operate on its own, then the news might be different. If RCI tries to integrate it into RCI operations or develop an IFE system to sell with seats as a package deal, then it’s possibly even bigger news!”
6) One vendor told IFExpress: “I don’t know if co-locating with AIX Asia and FTE really achieved any cross-over attendees that would not have gone to APEX anyway – every time I went down to see AIX and FTE the floor there it was really dead.”
7) Another IFE vendor told us; “Except for the wireless apps, no real standout technical or new product announcements that we saw. Probably the next most interesting things were the VR experience by Neutral and the Immersive Glasses by Skylights. Also, Ron Chapman’s Bluetooth text communications product working over Iridium is real interesting too.”
8) Another show goer told us we could also add a mention about the new APEX Awards and the fact that they were expanded from 2 to 8 categories this year. “It’s a step in the right direction since IFEC is too diverse a subject to shoehorn all the products and services into a couple categories.” And, we couldn’t agree more!
Lastly, we need to say that Joe Leader and his team of real experts did a great show job. Thank you for inviting us and keep up the good work!
Posted by Patricia on Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 6:34 pm
Filed under Hot Topics · Tagged with Airlines, APEX EXPO, connected aircraft, Connectivity, data, passengers, Singapore, Trends, Wi-Fi
- Technology enables airlines to connect with their fleet, increasing efficiency of maintenance and content management
Singapore | October 25, 2016– Panasonic Avionics (Panasonic) has today announced the launch of ZeroTouchTM service- its unique and innovative service that simultaneously gives airlines real-time visibility into performance, improves the efficiency of its maintenance operations and also enables data transfer of passenger-facing content to an aircraft to improve the passenger experience.
Paul Margis, CEO of Panasonic Avionics, said: “As an industry leader and trusted partner for over 35 years, Panasonic understands the infrastructure and support airlines require. Our data-driven, real-time ZeroTouchTM service combines all areas of our in-house expertise to help airlines maximize the efficiencies of their business and reduce their operational expenses.”
“Using the ZeroTouch service, our customers gain a seamless and efficient method to operate and manage their aircraft — from any location, at any time. They’ll have real-time visibility into fleet performance. They’ll use a robust infrastructure that lets them continuously and seamlessly improve their operations and the passenger experience. In essence, they’ll be able to solve real business challenges.”
The ZeroTouch Service Vision: Panasonic’s ZeroTouch service will reduce an airline’s need to physically touch the aircraft because all interactions are managed through a virtual dashboard. By providing access to real-time passenger data, software, media and content updates can be data-driven, helping to deliver a relevant and personalized passenger experience. Updates will be sent to an aircraft via three high-speed pipes – Wi-Fi at the gate, aircraft cell modem, or even in flight using Panasonic’s global broadband eXConnect service.
When combined with dynamic content updates, the ZeroTouch service will offer an improvement from an airline’s traditional 30-day media update cycle by enabling live updates to data and files stored on a Panasonic inflight entertainment and communications system. Applications such as movies, games, advertising, live news, and more will be automatically loaded at any time, over any available communications pipe to an entire fleet.
Strategic planning also will be made easier through the actionable insight solution provides. Airlines are presented with both a detailed picture of their aircraft and a broader overview of their fleet. This allows more informed decisions to be made in media consumption, system health monitoring, aircraft maintenance, and much more. The service automatically downloads critical operational data during flight meaning maintenance teams are notified of upcoming tasks and are able to prepare solutions prior to landing.
ZeroTouch Service Deployment Timeline: Today Panasonic is in Phase One of its ZeroTouch service initiative, and is already delivering payloads of up to 700 Megabytes to aircraft over cell modem and its eXConnect service multiple times per day.
By the third quarter of 2017, Panasonic will enter a Phase Two trial, which will leverage a new, more robust and more efficient core infrastructure and an enhanced management console. During this time frame, the company will also introduce the Enhanced Cell Modem with advanced Wi-Fi capabilities that will open up a third communications pipe to the aircraft.
Full commercial availability including content, media and software loading as well as operational data offloading is expected to immediately follow the Q3 2017 trial.
Melbourne, FL | September 19, 2016– Global aeronautical communications provider, Satcom Direct (SD), announced today it has acquired AircraftLogs (“Stewart-Ratliff Aviation Services, Inc”), a company based in Columbus, OH, that offers the latest technology in aircraft flight scheduling software and tax reporting tools for corporate and private flight departments. With the purchase of AircraftLogs, SD adds scheduling and tax capabilities to its Integrated Flight Operations Management portfolio.
Founded in 2005, AircraftLogs provides web-based aviation data management solutions for corporate and private aircraft. It has become a market leader for scheduling software with the release of a web-based solution that incorporates a user-friendly dashboard and high level of customization to address specific customer requirements. AircraftLogs also has industry-leading financial and tax reporting, which simplifies IRS and SEC reporting. Across the industry, flight departments and their IT organizations have been selecting AircraftLogs as their platform for the future.
“Customers spoke and we listened. The addition of AircraftLogs to the SD family enables SD to provide an integrated flight department offering with enhanced capabilities, advanced technology and an unmatched level of expertise to revolutionize the aviation industry,” said Jim Jensen, Founder and CEO of SD. “The flight starts with the schedule and ends with tax reporting. AircraftLogs gives SD, and our SD Pro management platform, a total solution that corporate flight departments have been asking for, allowing them to always be in sync with their aircraft.”
SD Pro, which launched in March 2016, was designed to compile the critical information every flight department needs and display it in real time. Every individual user has a dashboard which is customized to their role potentially giving them access to communications systems status, flight tracking, flight logs, aircraft status and intent, maintenance data, and scheduling data. The acquisition of AircraftLogs will add key features and functionality to the SD Pro platform including a rich suite of scheduling and tax reporting services, providing the aviation industry a complete flight operations management solution.
“We are thrilled to be joining the SD family. SD leads the aviation communications industry and with the addition of AircraftLogs to the SD family we can provide the best solutions of any company in our industry.”, said Doug Stewart, President of AircraftLogs.
United Kingdom and China | September 14, 2016: Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has signed an agreement with Beijing Marine Communication & Navigation Company (MCN) and Aviation Data Communication Corporation (ADCC) to provide aviation safety services to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and Operators.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was unveiled at ATC Global 2016, which is taking place in Beijing this week, and outlines MCN/ADCC’s intention to offer cockpit communication services, including Inmarsat’s Classic Aero and next generation SwiftBroadband-Safety services, in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Classic Aero is a high-quality voice and data safety service currently used by most of the world’s airlines. It offers reliable and secure satellite surveillance and communications (FANS/ACARS) that meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) global flight tracking requirements.
SwiftBroadband-Safety utilises secure IP-based broadband capabilities that far exceed those of other connectivity alternatives. It offers global, high speed, connectivity for cockpit and aircraft operations, with airlines benefitting from greater efficiency, reliability and capacity at a lower cost. The solution is always on and always secure, delivering next-generation applications, including flight data streaming (‘Black Box in the Cloud’) and real-time Electronic Flight Bag applications such as graphical weather.
Inmarsat’s partnership with MCN and ADCC is expected to be finalised later this year and fits with the announcement made earlier this year of plans for a MCN and Inmarsat joint venture to provide comprehensive aircraft cabin and connectivity solutions across the PRC.
Otto Gergye, Inmarsat Aviation’s Vice President of Airline Market Development, said: “Inmarsat is a trusted provider of aviation safety and operational services. More than 95% of the world’s oceanic aircraft currently use our services for communication, navigation and surveillance and we are set to achieve an important paradigm shift in cockpit communications with our advanced and highly-secure new SwiftBroadband-Safety service.
“We look forward to serving China’s aviation industry alongside MCN and ADCC. The country represents one of the largest growth markets in the world for aviation, with annual growth rates of more than 5% per year. Both in-service aircraft and passenger levels are expected to more than double in the next 20 years. Our partnerships with MCN and ADCC also reinforce Inmarsat’s commitment to supporting China’s One Belt One Road strategic vision.”
Song Zhen, Vice President of MCN, said: “MCN, ADCC and Inmarsat are strong leaders in their respective markets. This agreement is an important step in establishing a partnership that combines our individual strengths to provide China’s aviation industry with market-leading connectivity services for optimised cockpit and aircraft operations.”
Zhu Yanbo, Vice President of ADCC, said: “We are delighted to announce this agreement with MCN and Inmarsat. Together, we can support the growth and efficiency of China’s aviation industry by providing airlines with access to the best safety communications solutions in the market today, with the well-established Classic Aero service, and with the advanced next-generation SwiftBroadband-Safety service.”
GEE’s Enterprise Data Warehouse Trusted by Airlines Globally for Business Intelligence and Analytics
• Cloud-based platform for commercial aviation analytics and intelligent airline operations
• Analytics subscription services trusted by airlines globally to improve operational reliability and to monitor key operational performance metrics
• Most comprehensive historic and real-time operations data available for over 400 airlines globally
• Fuses real-time aircraft-generated data with flight status, ground surveillance and weather
• Improves efficiencies, reduces costs, improves passenger experience and enables airlines’ digital transformation
Los Angeles, CA | September 6, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT) (“GEE”), a worldwide provider of end-to-end connectivity and media to the airline, maritime and remote mobility markets, today announced Alaska Airlines, which has been ranked the No. 1 U.S. airline by The Wall Street Journal on key operational and customer metrics for two years in a row, awarded a contract to GEE for its Masflight Enterprise Data Warehouse. GEE’s secure and high-performance data warehouse provides the most comprehensive and trusted aviation operations data available for mission-critical airline analytics and performance monitoring.
Alaska Air Group operates Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, which together with its partner regional airlines, serve more than 100 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. Alaska Airlines, an industry leader in flight completion rates and on-time performance, has been ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction among traditional carriers in North America by J.D. Power for eight years in a row.
“A key element to Alaska Airlines’ success is investing in cloud-based analytics and intelligent applications that support our operation in real-time,” said Dan Audette, Director of Operations Analytics & Strategy at Alaska Airlines. “GEE’s knowledge of airline operations, coupled with their high-performance enterprise data warehouse technology makes them a good partner for the company.”
“We are honored to provide Alaska Airlines with our cloud-based analytics platform that simplifies analytics, real-time competitive benchmarking, and fleet-wide performance monitoring and alerting,” said Edmund Otubuah, Managing Director of Products, GEE. “The Masflight platform will provide key decision-makers with real-time situational awareness and serve as a decision-support tool to support historical analytics and improve operational workflows.”
Vancouver, BC | August 11, 2016– Boeing Vancouver today announced that it will open a new downtown laboratory focused on data analytics-driven software solutions. The Vancouver Labs will be focused on rapidly conceiving of, building and scaling solutions that help airlines and other aircraft operators increase efficiencies and drive costs out of their businesses. The Vancouver Labs complement the company’s facilities in Richmond, B.C., which today employ more than 200 highly skilled software engineers and data scientists.
“The expansion represents a natural extension of Boeing Vancouver’s analytics, software development and professional consulting work,” said Boeing Vancouver president Bob Cantwell. “As one of the largest analytics groups within Boeing, we are well suited to house the new Vancouver Labs, which will focus on delivering data-driven solutions at a rapidly increased pace over traditional development.”
By leveraging data science insights, reducing traditional enterprise development cycles and working with customers in a consultative manner as products are developed, the Vancouver Labs will work to deliver innovative solutions to Boeing’s global customer base at an accelerated pace. Boeing Vancouver’s new labs will create new jobs, while facilitating local knowledge transfer and enhancing partnerships between Boeing, other technology companies and academic institutions across Canada.
“We’re delighted another tech giant is expanding its work in B.C.,” said Amrik Virk, B.C. Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services. “Boeing Vancouver is tapping into an amazing talent pool with a long history of delivering great innovations that have made the world a better place. Bringing new ideas to reality and driving the future of tech in B.C. is exactly what we aim to foster as part of our #BCTECH Strategy.”
“Boeing’s new labs office will be a significant addition to the province’s growing technology sector and demonstrates B.C.’s reputation as a leading hub for technological innovation,” said Teresa Wat, B.C Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism. “B.C. has a highly skilled knowledge-based workforce, and this is a great example of how they are being recruited to support the needs of a global leader in the aviation sector.”
The Vancouver Labs are designed as an open concept space to maximize collaboration and creativity among multi-disciplined teams with skills in UI/UX design, data science, consulting, and Agile software-development. Boeing Vancouver, formerly known as AeroInfo, will move into the new facility in September 2016.
Connected Aircraft data visualization, monitoring and alerting for decision support and aircraft tracking
- Integrates real-time Connected Aircraft information via high-speed satellite streaming
- Merges aircraft-generated position data with flight status, ground surveillance and weather
- Configurable alerting to enhance situational awareness and track fleet-wide disruptions
- Meets ICAO GADSS requirements through global multi-source flight tracking capabilities
Improves efficiencies, reduces costs, and enables airlines’ digital transformation
Los Angeles, CA | July 29, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT) (“GEE”), a worldwide provider of end-to-end connectivity and media to the airline, maritime and remote mobility markets, today announced the launch of Airview Opsconnect™, a cloud-based application that tracks and visualizes operations, identifies and alerts operational disruptions, and improves on-time performance through integrated web-based tools.
Built on GEE’s masFlight analytics and business intelligence platform, Airview Opsconnect fuses Connected Aircraft data streamed over satellite with ground-based surveillance, flight status and weather information to identify and manage high-value operational problems. The application displays aircraft position and tracks, identifies taxi-out delays (even at airports without terrestrial surface-surveillance) and alerts users to operational exceptions, disruptions and cancellations. Airline managers will be equipped with a do-it-yourself application that simplifies analytics, information querying, including competitive benchmarking, and automates performance reporting by airport, fleet and network worldwide. Together with masFlight, Airview Opsconnect enables ICAO GADSS compliance for aircraft tracking and reduces airline exposure to regulatory penalties while improving the safety of operations.
“Airview Opsconnect provides airline executives and front-line crewmembers industry-leading insights into real-time operational performance, showcasing GEE’s integrated Connected Aircraft capabilities and leadership,” said Bernard Asare, VP Connected Aircraft Systems. “The app unifies real-time, in-flight data with weather, flight information, and ground-based surveillance with a user-friendly interface to support mission-critical airline decisions and addresses regulatory flight tracking requirements.”
Airview Opsconnect is offered with GEE’s Airconnect Global in-flight connectivity system and can ingest data from both third-party and internal airline data platforms. For more information or to schedule a demonstration of the platform, contact opsconnect@geemedia.com.
Posted by Patricia on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Filed under News Releases · Tagged with aircraft, Airview Opsconnect, analytics, data, GADSS, GEE, ICAO, masFlight, operations, Satellite, tracking
Real-time Connected Aircraft data streams now available for business intelligence and analysis
- Accesses the most accurate, timely and granular flight data through satellite links
- Merges aircraft-generated position data with flight status, ground surveillance and weather
- Platform analyzes fused data for schedule planning & operations management
- Fully integrated with GEE’s Airview suite of applications
Los Angeles, CA | July 28, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: ENT) (“GEE”), a worldwide provider of end-to-end connectivity and media to the airline, maritime and remote mobility markets, today announced the real-time integration of Connected Aircraft data streams with GEE’s masFlight airline operations data platform, which now features real-time flight tracking and satellite-transmitted surveillance data for accurate, complete and informative operational analytics.
Since its 2011 introduction, GEE’s masFlight has utilized ground-based radar and ADS-B surveillance systems to track and analyze airline performance, employing data from hundreds of commercial, government, and primary data sources. Information including flight schedules, flight status, radar and ADS-B surveillance, surface and atmospheric weather conditions, and airport surface operations is analyzed. Global airlines employ GEE to monitor operations, improve flight scheduling, benchmark against competition and power enterprise-wide business intelligence platforms.
With the integration of real-time data from the Connected Aircraft, GEE now provides airline executives and operations managers with the most current and complete views of flight performance. GEE can access information from it’s navAero aircraft interface devices, proprietary Airconnect Global in-flight connectivity systems, or third-party communications links. Flight profiles, including three-dimensional flight tracks, can be updated every second with full data encryption and segregation for security. Based on airline requirements, GEE can now also utilize real-time maintenance, in-flight entertainment and environmental data to supply business intelligence and improve operations workflow.
The cloud-based platform is accessible on a subscription basis with an available library of dashboards and visualization tools highlighting key performance metrics. masFlight integrates with third-party business intelligence systems including Tableau, SiSense and Oracle, and has a robust programming API for local system integration.
“More than 300 airlines worldwide operate fleets with over 20 aircraft and each faces the same challenges in collecting, fusing and analyzing the information they collect from their aircraft,” said Bernard Asare, Vice President of Connected Aircraft Systems. “masFlight leverages petabyte-scale cloud data processing and analytics capabilities to fuse real-time Connected Aircraft data with ground-based surveillance and flight status systems for the most accurate, timely and actionable operational visibility.”
Posted by Patricia on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Filed under News Releases · Tagged with aircraft, connected, data, flight, GEE, masFlight, radar, schedules, status, weather
EBACE Geneva, Switzerland | May 24, 2016– SD Pro brings together patented Satcom Direct (SD) products and services with best-in-class integration partners to deliver real-time data about the aircraft via a single interface. SD Pro lets you view and manage flight logs, performance data, scheduling, trip planning, maintenance information, operating history, and more. Demos of the new technology are available at Satcom Direct’s EBACE exhibit S115.
SD Pro aggregates information from multiple sources the flight department is already using, into a web-based display, so that every member of the team can access it from their desktop, tablet or mobile device. Designed to be a single point of access, the SD Pro interface displays the information via modules on its customizable dashboard that can be tailored to meet the varying needs of flight departments and individual team members. Operators can choose which modules to add to the SD Pro dashboard based on their operational requirements.
“We conceived the idea for SD Pro when we saw how members of aircraft management companies and flight departments had to access numerous information sources, multiple screens, and disparate access points to do their jobs. SD Pro changes that by bringing together many of these functions into a modular dashboard. We’ve already partnered with a number of providers to integrate the systems flight departments use most – and more partnerships are in the works,” said David Greenhill, President of SD.
SD Pro not only brings together information from multiple third-party providers, it offers powerful data capture capabilities from its value added services, FlightDeck Freedom® (FDF) premium datalink service, and the Satcom Direct Router (SDRTM). This allows the extraction of operational data from the aircraft such as telemetry and position data, fuel indications, operational parameters and more. Revolutionary SD Pro technology processes the data and securely stores it in the state-of-the-art SD Data Center. SD Pro is designed to grow, with additional modules in development to deliver the functionality flight departments require.
“SD Pro synchronizes the flight department with the aircraft, in real-time. The SD Pro platform is even more powerful when combined with the SDR and FDF. Their advanced data capture capabilities create a reliable historical record for the life of the aircraft, and save money by accurately capturing cycles and times down to the second,” said Jim Jensen, Founder and CEO of SD. “The future of flight operations management is here.”
For the past three or so years we have known PXCom’s Cyril Jean and from a personality point-of-view, he is one of the nicest in the industry. Lately, he has been on our radar as a potential industry tree-shaker. Let us explain.
While he has been in our industry, Cyril has towed the straight line when it comes to the application of entertainment content for the travel industry- specifically as we know it, inflight entertainment content and information solutions. In the past, he and his company have been looking into a ‘more evaluative solution’ …our words, not his. By that, we mean, his solutions have been (till now) standard inflight entertainment and travel destination related. However, we recently got an interesting press release and Infographic from PXCom that got our attention on the Personalization Cycle.
In the link, it noted “Now it’s time to take traditional screens already built into passenger seats and bring them into the digital revolution. With new available technologies, these screens have become an actual digital media with the capacity of communicating directly with each passenger’s smartphone. This is a revolution that offers incredible opportunities!” which really caught our eye. Not only does the piece poo-poo the old pop-up window advertising concept, it outlays a new concept for that process that focuses on ‘personalized message content’ – “People more readily accept ads that are targeted to their immediate situation. If not, the advertiser risks being permanently blocked by an ‘ad-blocker’. In other words, all of the marketing tools being developed are currently focused on personalizing message content.”
“In this environment, PXCom has launched a research program aiming at creating a model to personalize services depending on the destination. This model takes into consideration the latest technology available in current passenger entertainment systems, and anticipates future evolutions.” We had to find out more, so we contacted PXCom’s chief, Cyril Jean and asked a few questions:
1. IFExpress Did you develop this yourselves or did you use an outside source?
Cyril: We developed PXCom-bound topics by ourselves. Our goal with this infographics and article is to try to federate the IFE stakeholders. As you can easily understand PXCom alone cannot do anything. This personalization cycle involves the IFE manufacturers’ teams. And yes, we are already exchanging with some of them on that topic.
2. IFExpress: Is this new concept considered an adaptive technology?
Cyril: Software experts will answer no, since we do not use adaptive algorithms. Yet, we can consider it is ‘adaptive’ since the weights of the factors change with the pax usages. (Editor’s Note: Cyril told us that personalization data companies like Google, Facebook or Tripadvisor are far-ahead of the IFE industry when it comes to personalization and we have to agree.)
3 IFExpress: This is the first of this technology we have seen for IFE, is that correct?
Cyril: Correct.
4. IFExpress: Please describe how this concept (or the software) works?
Cyril: Well, it’s all about data gathering and the core software is on the back office for data matching.
5. IFExpress: Can you give an example of how a user would input their preference or is there another way to get the preference data for the computer?
Cyril: A simple example is:
· Flight 1 : you browse the destination guide and open some “Arts Galleries” points of interest.
· Flight 2 : You’re flying to NYC, and the IFE has included in your “Personalized Selection” the latest exhibition at the MoMA (+ a skip the line offer), and the latest art gallery sponsoring its property.
· Flight 3 : The system is informed that you’re flying with your kids, and you find in your “Personalized Section” a special offer for LegoLand.
6. IFExpress: I say ‘computer’ but I really don’t know what I am talking about? Can you give a bit more info about operation?
Cyril: It’s all about the pax profile. Far more easy to implement with BYOD IFE. Regarding seatback screens, it mainly works thanks to the Companion App. Since the players (Airlines, IFE Manufacturers, PXCom) can access your inflight profile, everything can be stored in the IFE server, and downloaded/uploaded once the aircraft lands for back-office batch processing. The only intelligence which has to be loaded onboard the IFE server is PXCom’s software in order to match the factors.
7. IFExpress: I assume the passenger preference is determined by some pax-system ‘testing’ in the front end of the trip… but I do not have clue how the pax interaction with the system works. Can you help?
Cyril: The system records the browsing path, favorites selections and booking options for each flight. These records are used for the next flights.
8. IFExpress: What, exactly then, is the passenger profile?
Cyril: Our PAX profile relies on a list of characteristics as described in our infographics. Each point of interest/destination activity is tagged according to the same mapping. The platform operates the matching between the tags in real time.
9. IFExpress: How is it determined? Do passengers input any personal data so your system can determine ‘what they want or like’?
Cyril: Our platform’s requirements feature a special module enabling passengers’ inputs. Yet, there is currently a paradox well described in this article.
As explained in this article, pax are not ready to share personal data, except on social networks. Hence the solution may be found in partnerships with companies whose core business is social data gathering & analysis. In the “on-the-ground” world we are at the dawn of personalization-driven marketing. Passengers no longer understand a technological gap between on-the-ground and In-flight technology. Hence, the IFE industry has to listen carefully to the trends which are arising.
Inflight media has always been considered a premium relying on the sole quality of its affluent & captive audience. The IFE industry has an absolute opportunity to maintain this position… for the airlines’ ancillaries sake.
10. IFExpress: Is there any interest by airlines?
Cyril: To be fully transparent for the moment we do not exchange much on that topic with the airlines. They know what our goals are and agree with that, but the immediate future is to provide pax with our innovative services.
11. IFExpress: Is there any test being done by an airline… and what is the airline interest?
Cyril: It is far too early. Yet, I know that some players such as SITA OnAir have both technology and agility to perform this with PXCom.
12. IFExpress: What do advertisers say?
Cyril: Guess what? They love it, of course. Advertisers are more likely to pay when they have the ROI insurance. And such personalized offers are in the current marketing trends. PXCom “mission” is to participate in transforming the IFE from a tactic media (global broadcast of ads) to a strategic media (promotion of extremely targeted ads) focused on destination-related services.
Finally, Cyril told IFExpress: “PXCom is currently studying some partnership proposals with major retailers and big brands of fine delicacies in order to onboard the service in the early 2016. The competitive edge for these brands relies in PXCom solution’s portability from one IFE platform to another without any additional development.” Stay Tuned!
For more information, you might contact Cyril and
in conclusion, it might be interesting for the APEX or AIX crowd to consider a new discussion/research category – The Personalization Cycle?
MORE NEWS
1) AIX 2016 will welcome more than 50 new exhibitors for the first time, along with long standing exhibitors including Airbus, B/E Aerospace, Boeing, Panasonic and Zodiac Aerospace. It will be taking place as always in Hamburg, from 5-7 April, with the Passenger Experience Conference on 4 April.
2) Recently, we got an interesting letter from Boeing retiree, Bob Bogash about his efforts in the aviation safety area. Now we know, this is an InFlight Entertainment and Connectivity newsletter but Bob’s research into aviation safety is complete, data driven and available to read on his website.
When we asked about his data accuracy and his “recent” piloting certification, he responded: “I just report the FACTS, as derived from public documents, and where I give my opinion, I state it as my opinion. As far as “recently obtained pilot skills” goes, I got my Pilot’s License on July 15, 1964 and have been flying for 51 years”… Sorry Bob!
3) Hah! You thought we made a mistake in last week’s edition of IFExpress when we quoted the Gogo 2Ku flight test speed trial at 5 to 6 GB/sec… but you knew the answer was higher than it should be, yes 5 to 6 Gb/sec is correct. Our readers were tested and here is the first “winner” to note the discovery – Peter Lemme. And thank you for your input!
Melbourne, FL | October 29, 2015– Satcom Direct is the first Inmarsat SwiftBroadband (SBB) distribution partner to provision and enable the new SwiftBroadband high data rate (HDR) service with Honeywell avionics, nearly doubling in-flight data speeds available to business aviation.
In its latest “first” for business aviation, Satcom Direct has made HDR service available to SwiftBroadband customers, providing a faster and more efficient broadband connection. HDR enhances passengers’ overall network connectivity experience by unlocking the ability to use high-bandwidth applications in-flight. The service can provide up to 650 kbps per streaming channel. Customers with a Satcom Direct Router (SDR™) can use Satcom Direct’s exclusive SkyBondSM service to combine up to 2 channels, currently, providing speeds of up to 1.3 Mbps. This is approximately two times faster per channel than traditional SwiftBroadband in-flight connections.
“The number one request we get from operators, passengers and VVIP customers worldwide is faster internet. Satcom Direct is constantly developing and leveraging ways to increase airborne data speeds, so it’s only natural we would be the first to bring HDR to business aviation. Checking email, streaming video, and internet browsing just got significantly faster for our customers and we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to deliver it,” said Jim Jensen, CEO and Founder of Satcom Direct.
Honeywell developed and tested HDR using its proven HSD-400 and HD-710 onboard hardware. The HDR service supports multiple new streaming configurations, including symmetrical and asymmetrical solutions, configurable in either half or full channel data rates. This allows the operator to select a configuration based on their connectivity needs. It is available to operators with select Honeywell terminals and the purchase of a license key, with some compatible models requiring an on-wing software upgrade to enable the service.
Other firsts Satcom Direct has achieved in recent months include being first in business aviation to prove its services over Inmarsat’s new Ka-band network in readiness for launch of the Jet Connex service; first to offer channel bonding via Cobham equipment for streaming over SwiftBroadband; first to provide global voice and text services using your number on your device at any altitude via its exclusive GlobalVTSM service; and it launched the world’s first IT certification for aviation, AeroIT.
In-flight entertainment and related technologies, such as onboard Internet access, are critically important to the passengers I speak with every day. An authoritative resource about the latest developments in the in-flight entertainment industry will lead to better products and happier customers.”
