France and California | June 19, 2017–SITAONAIR and Teledyne Controls are joining forces to deliver the aviation industry’s first-ever airline-integrated ACARS datalink terrestrial cellular service.

This new partnership – announced today between SITAONAIR, the airline datalink communications world-leaders, and avionics manufacturer Teledyne Controls – represents an important evolution in airline and aircraft communications.

Datalink services are chiefly provided using VHF/VDL radio frequencies and satellites to transmit data messages, communicating vital real-time aircraft status, health and position updates between an aircraft and its airline’s flight operations.

By using Teledyne Controls’ GroundLink® Comm+ system, SITAONAIR is able to integrate terrestrial cellular services into its core datalink network, giving airlines the flexibility of another transmission channel for aircraft communications, bringing multiple benefits.

This is the first-ever option of its kind in the aircraft communications market and benefits to airlines of enabling the datalink service over 3G/4G include:

• Providing increased capacity for message transmission with levels of service, support and proactive monitoring that airlines have come to expect
• Relieving traditional datalink networks in congested airports
• Delivering the service through consistent interfaces and integrating the datalink infrastructure for seamless service delivery across networks
• Supplementing VHF datalink ground coverage in sparse areas.

Dominique El Bez, SITAONAIR’s Vice President of Strategy, says: “We are very pleased to formalize our relationship with Teledyne Controls to deliver our unique-to-market, datalink-over-cellular solution to the air transport industry.

“SITAONAIR is focused on leading the industry in evolving aircraft communications services, and this is the first step of several we are taking to bring new IP networks to aircraft for operational communications. Our vision is to deeply integrate available technology to ensure seamless interoperability between new and current networks. Fundamentally, our industry needs to know that these services, which provide critical communications, do the job, and this is the guarantee SITAONAIR delivers as a dedicated airline partner.

“The unique capabilities of our organizations, and willingness to drive innovation in the aircraft communications sphere, will bring significant benefits to both SITAONAIR and Teledyne customers and the broader aviation community.”

Marshall Dormire, Vice President of Business Development & Strategy of Teledyne Controls, adds: “We are thrilled to join forces with SITAONAIR to deliver this new datalink service. Customers have been very interested to extend datalink functionality to Teledyne’s versatile GroundLink® Comm+ system. It is now easy to quickly and securely transfer datalink data over 3G/4G wireless cellular networks worldwide.

“The GroundLink® Comm+ system automates the wireless distribution of navigation databases and Software Parts, provides data interfaces for cockpit Electronic Flight Bags, and now provides datalink over terrestrial cellular IP, all while systematically collecting recorded flight data from the airline’s fleet and delivering it to the airline.”

Melbourne, FL | June 7, 2016– SD GeoServices’ geolocation-based technology provides improved situational awareness at every stage of flight enabling better safety and security for passengers, and their data. The newest enhancement, Route Alerts, provides automatic, real-time notifications to the flight deck about hazardous weather conditions so that dangers can be avoided.

SD Route Alerts is a premium enhancement to SD GeoServices. Powered by FlightDeck Freedom®, the technology provides pilots advanced warning so they can avoid turbulence, icing, thunderstorms, and other hazardous weather events using datalink messages and email alerts. Near real-time monitoring of the flight path and automated updates on conditions allow the crew to stay on top of changing hazards.

Route Alerts notifications are based on dynamically updated weather information in the flight path. The flight team is automatically notified when hazardous weather could impact flights well before the actual event occurs, improving diversion planning and responses to weather hazards. Route Alerts is compatible with existing avionics and no additional applications are required. The notifications can be delivered as uplink messages to the flight deck display or via email for receipt by aircraft occupants and others needing the information.

“SD is constantly enhancing our technologies to better support flight departments and flight crews with more advanced tools. SD GeoServices keeps the flight crew better informed of surrounding conditions, and the route alerting functionality enables them to strategically address weather hazards far in advance,” said Nick Cook, Director of Flight Deck Services for SD.

SD GeoServices, geolocation-based technology offered by SD, includes GeoFence, GeoNotifications and now Route Alerts. GeoFence creates a virtual boundary around a specified area. The geofenced region can be defined based on any geography, including service coverage areas or a customer-designated perimeter and can be static or dynamic. The GeoFence border determines the area for which a geolocation-based alert is triggered. GeoNotifications deliver real time messages to the crew about their environmental situation, including information about weather, service coverage areas, or sensitive airspace.

Flight Departments interested in more information about SD GeoServices and Route Alerts can visit www.satcomdirect.com/products-and-services/geoservices/ or call +1.321.777.3000 (U.S.) or +44.1252.554.460 (international).

Melbourne, FL | March 2, 2016– Satcom Direct’s FlightDeck Freedom® datalink and Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.’s online flight planning and weather services are now available in an integrated and bundled offering, pairing one of the industry’s leading business aviation connectivity providers with the global resources and expertise of Universal.

Joining forces to offer seamless datalink and online flight planning, Satcom Direct (SD) FlightDeck Freedom (FDF) datalink and Universal® flight planning are integrated through uvGO, Universal’s do-it-yourself (DIY) mission planning and management solution. uvGO, available via iPad app and online, allows users to plan, build, and manage all aspects of a mission—from DIY worldwide flight planning and weather, to UVair® fuel pricing and arrangements, to airport and FBO information, and total trip coordination through Universal Trip Support. Flight crews can uplink and view flight plans and weather in the cockpit, and display aircraft communications, position details, and messages via uvGO, when on the ground and in the air.

The alliance recognizes Universal as the preferred trip management provider for Satcom Direct flight deck services, and FlightDeck Freedom is now the unlimited, fixed-rate datalink service offered by Universal. Aircraft operators receive the bundled datalink and flight planning offering through a single contract and a single invoice.

“This collaboration perfectly fits our mission of advancing the industry by both developing new technologies and bringing together the right partners to deliver unmatched capabilities,” said Jim Jensen, SD Founder and CEO.

Satcom Direct’s FlightDeck Freedom datalink service is fully compatible with all avionics and airframe manufacturers. FDF uses datalink technology that is specifically designed to support business and military aviation, worldwide.

“uvGO integrates all of our services and functionality into one simple interface that has been redesigned around the way business aircraft operators tell us they plan and manage their missions. The seamless integration of FDF into uvGO adds tremendous value for our clients,” said Denio Alvarado, Senior Vice President, Global Product Strategy, Universal.

FDF enables the flight crew to monitor cabin communications to assure voice and internet services are working for passengers. Schedulers/dispatchers and maintenance personnel have access to automated takeoff and landing reports, email messages to and from the aircraft, and can monitor aircraft position at any time with SD’s exclusive SD Flight Tracker.

“Today, the Universal and SD collaboration brings robust capabilities to our customers. In the future there will be a deeper integration allowing us to deliver services that no other trip support provider or datalink provider is offering,” said Scott Hamilton, SD Chief Strategy Officer.

• New capabilities extend Gogo’s position as a complete, “nose-to-tail” communications provider in the business aviation market

NBAA, Las Vegas | November 16, 2015– November 16, 2015 – Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO), the leading provider of wireless in-flight connectivity and entertainment solutions to the global aero market, announces the availability of an expanded suite of cockpit and datalink services for its business aviation customers from Honeywell’s Global Data Center (GDC).

The additional services include Inmarsat Classic Aero (voice and data services) along with a variety of flight planning, datalink, graphical cockpit and weather information, flight following and concierge services.

John Wade, Gogo Business Aviation’s executive vice president and general manager, said, “We’re pleased to debut this additional suite of GDC services and offer Gogo customers the convenience of single-source activation, support and unified monthly billing.”

Gogo is unique in that it offers one of the business aviation market’s widest selections of in-flight voice and data services, which now include Gogo Biz, SwiftBroadband, Jet ConneX, Classic Aero, Swift64, Iridium, terrestrial 3G and Gogo Cloud (automated content delivery).

Michael Edmonds, Honeywell Aerospace Services Vice President, added “Honeywell’s continued mission is to innovate our on-board and portable solutions to reduce the work load for flight crews and maintainers of aircraft. We are proud to partner with Gogo to expand the availability of these services to more users.”

Today’s announcement is part of a larger initiative at Gogo Business Aviation as the company continues to expand its voice and data airtime services. The company offers a full range of easy-to-understand plans along with a suite of tools and support services that help customers monitor and manage their monthly usage. Special discounts are offered for bundled services and customers that operate multiple aircraft.