Hamburg, Germany | April 5, 2016– Airbus has selected Rockwell Collins as a lead supplier of High-Bandwidth Connectivity (HBC) for the Airbus A320 single-aisle family of aircraft, and long-range A330 and A380 aircraft.
Under the terms of the agreement, airlines purchasing Airbus aircraft can select HBC from Rockwell Collins to meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity.
“In our day-to-day conversations with our airline customers, the need for high-speed connectivity is top of mind. The solution we’re providing meets the significant pressure airlines are getting from their passengers to provide a superior connectivity service while flying,” said Greg Irmen, vice president and general manager, Flight Controls and Information Systems, Rockwell Collins. “We’re excited to be part of the movement to bring people together around the world, no matter where they may be.”
As a lead supplier, Rockwell Collins will collaborate with Airbus to develop and deploy both a linefit and retrofit HBC system to ensure an end-to-end managed SATCOM solution. Specific details about the technology solution will be released as they are finalized.
Airbus’s HBC selection builds upon Rockwell Collins’ extensive amount of next-generation systems it supplies the aircraft maker. Numerous Rockwell Collins systems are standard on the Airbus A350 XWB and options for the A320 and A330 aircraft families. Most recently, Rockwell Collins was selected by Airbus to supply its Electronic Flight Bag interface and communications unit, which is part of its Secure Server Router portfolio, as options on A320s and A330s.
Hamburg, Germany | April 5, 2016– Thales has been selected by Airbus as Lead Supplier for HBC solutions to be deployed on A320, A330 and A380 aircrafts in linefit and retrofit mode.
Thales’ High Bandwidth Connectivity solutions will provide passengers the bandwidth they need to enrich their travel experience and airlines with the connectivity solution that satisfies their operational requirements.
This selection is an important milestone in the long-standing relationship between Airbus and Thales. In addition to the already selectable GX Connectivity solution for A350s, this agreement enables Thales to become linefit offerable for connectivity products and related VAR services on all legacy Airbus platforms, today and in the future.
HBC solutions are designed to operate standalone or connected to an IFE system.
Thales’ inflight entertainment and connectivity portfolio combines innovative technologies, a global support network, with a complete ecosystem that provides airlines valuable services to improve operational efficiencies and increase passenger engagement.
In this safety-critical and technology-rich environment Thales has a pedigree and global presence no other provider can match, across aviation, avionics, satellite networks, connected skies, cyber security and passenger entertainment.
Let’s face it, Airshow’s are a great place for aircraft sales and where there are aircraft, there are IFE systems! We thought our readers might want a Tuesday summary of the preceding at Paris, so here goes:
So far, Boeing secured B737 MAX orders/order commitments from AerCap for 100 B737MAX aircraft, China’s Ruili Airlines (via Avic International Leasing) for 30 B737MAX planes, and SMBC Aviation Capital for 10 more B737MAX 8s. It also announced plan to roll out the B737MAX by end of 2015 in preparation for first flight in early 2016. Additionally, Korean Air announced the purchase of 30 B737Max aircraft. China’s Minsheng Aviation (Leasing) announced a commitment for 30 B737’s (Mix of NG B737’s and B737MAX aircraft). Sriwijaya Air (Jakarta Indonesia) announced an order for two Next-Gen B737-900ER’s. At the show, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner also provided a progress report on the three programs still in development — the 737 MAX, 777X and 787-10. “We’ve increased airplane production by more than 60 percent over the past five years by building our products on a lean and responsive production system,” said Conner. “Our focus is on executing our production rates and getting airplanes into the hands of our customers. We remain on track to deliver between 750 and 755 airplanes, a new industry record.”
Conner also outlined progress on the company’s Airplane Development programs. For the first time, Boeing announced that the 737 MAX will roll out of the factory by the end of this year and fly for the first time early next year. “Performance of the 737 MAX is meeting all of our expectations, with the airplane being 20 percent more fuel efficient than the first Next-Generation 737,” said Conner. The 777X is on schedule to reach firm configuration this year, begin final assembly in 2018 and be delivered in 2020. The 787 will transition to a production rate of 12 airplanes per month in 2016 and 14 per month by the end of the decade. First delivery of the 787-10 is scheduled for 2018. Further, at the show Boeing announced some R&D and Tech Innovations that should interest our readers – here are a couple: Secure, connected airplane that enables analytics-driven operations; Integrated sound and light inside the cabin that allow airlines to reinforce their branding and uniquely present valuable information to passengers; Entirely paperless flight deck.
Airbus announced orders from Peach Aviation (Japan – Low Cost) for three A320s and EVA Air for four A330-300s. Also, Korean Air ordered 30 A321neo’s with 20 options.
Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE:HON) and Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L) have successfully completed the first phase of hardware and satellite network flight tests for GX Aviation broadband services. Honeywell’s JetWave-branded hardware enables airplanes to connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress satellite constellation for GX Aviation global Ka-band in-flight Wi-Fi services. The tests, which included streaming YouTube videos and live radio, online conference calls, downloading files and more, were conducted in the U.K. in June 2015 – validating GX Aviation’s ability to deliver high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity while over land and water.
Another IFE news story comes from Zodiac Inflight Innovations: Airbus has selected Zodiac Aerospace’s Zodiac Inflight Innovations as a Buyer Furnished Equipment supplier for the Airbus High Bandwidth Connectivity (HBC) solution. Zodiac Inflight Innovations is supplying aircraft equipment, and other terminal hardware. As Lead supplier, Zodiac Inflight Innovations will manage the integration of the system and facilitate the Inmarsat Global Xpress service directly.
“High Bandwidth Connectivity (HBC) represents the new generation of connectivity services for both passengers and airlines”, said Matt Smith, CEO at Zodiac Inflight Innovations. “The system provides high speed Internet to passengers, and many other opportunities for airline ancillary revenue for example, and airlines will be able to improve operation via real time aircraft monitoring.” The current scope of this HBC program covers the Ka-band system for A320 single aisle family, the A330 long range family and the A380 aircraft. Larry Girard, Executive Vice President at Zodiac Inflight Innovations states, “The end result will be that airlines will be able to have different HBC options on multiple aircraft types, while providing a consistent service to both passengers and the airlines’ day-to-day operations. As the Lead supplier, Zodiac Inflight Innovations’ role is bringing together all the components for the High Bandwidth Connectivity program, including our own, and matching them to the Airbus process”, continued Girard. Zodiac Inflight Innovations is providing an ARINC-791 compliant radome, adapter plate, skirt seal, antenna, as well as other terminal hardware. The radome and adapter plate have been designed to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate other Ka-band antennas, minimizing the work required for future HBC systems. “We are building very a strong relationship with Airbus,” concluded Girard. “Not only is Zodiac Inflight Innovations a supplier selected to provide HBC equipment, but also our inflight entertainment solutions are approved as line-fit on A330 Long Range, and under study on other aircraft types.” Twenty five airlines around the world with over 200 aircraft in service are already using Zodiac Inflight Innovations Inflight Entertainment which includes our award winning RAVE Centric AVOD system and our latest RAVE Wireless streaming entertainment system
Rockwell Collins’ PAVES Broadcast in-flight entertainment (IFE) and Airshow 3D Moving Map systems will be featured on 15 new Next-Generation Boeing 737 aircraft on lease by China Eastern Airlines. Deliveries are expected to begin in late 2015. Rockwell Collins’ PAVES Broadcast overhead IFE significantly reduces size, weight, and power consumption compared to previous overhead system offerings. The system’s High Definition Media Server (HDMS) offers 160 gigabytes of solid-state digital audio and video storage capability, integrated pre-recorded announcements, and music (PRAM) functionality with embedded Airshow 3D Moving Map. Additionally, with PAVES Broadcast, airlines have the option to handle updates of non-encrypted content themselves or through the Rockwell Collins Content Services Group. This choice gives airlines flexibility in responding to commercial opportunities as they arise, since time-sensitive content can be replaced at a moment’s notice, anywhere in the world.
Thales reports from the show with a new IFE contract with Kuwait Airlines.
A good source of images and news, Aviation Week Paris Airshow 2015 Highlights is here and check daily!
Global communications service provider, Gogo, announced that it will bring its in-flight connectivity services to GOL, the largest low-cost and best-fare airline in Latin America. GOL will be the first Brazilian airline to offer broadband Internet access to its passengers. As part of the agreement, Gogo will outfit GOL’s entire fleet of aircraft with Gogo’s satellite service – 2Ku. In addition to providing In-flight Internet, all of GOL’s aircraft will also be outfitted with Gogo’s wireless in-flight entertainment system, Gogo Vision, and Gogo’s new IPTV solution, Gogo TV – on all of the aircraft. Gogo TV enables airlines to deliver live television content to a passenger’s own Wi-Fi enabled device. The service will initially be available only to airlines that select Gogo’s 2Ku technology and will be delivered through the Wi-Fi system onboard the aircraft using Internet protocol. Gogo believes that 2Ku will be the best solution on the market for IPTV. “This is a major win for Gogo and represents a number of firsts for Gogo. GOL is Gogo’s first airline partner in South America and the first airline to commit to Gogo’s television product. It also represents the largest aircraft commitment to our 2Ku technology outside of North America,” said Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO. “We believe that 2Ku will be the best performing technology in the global aero market. This performance is expected to be even better near the equator, where a large percentage of GOL’s aircraft operate.” Gogo expects to begin offering connectivity services on GOL towards the middle of 2016. 2Ku, Gogo’s next generation satellite technology, is expected to deliver peak speeds of more than 70 Mbps to the aircraft, which is more than 20 times the bandwidth when compared to Gogo’s first generation Air to Ground solution in the U.S.
Hong Kong International Airport is leading the way in Asia Pacific with trials of beacons to provide key information directly to passengers’ mobile devices, to further improve their journey through the airport. SITA Lab, the technology research team for global IT provider SITA, has installed more than fifty beacons in Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport for one of these innovative trials. Beacon technology triggers the display of location-relevant information on devices at the right time and in the right situation. With beacons, airports and airlines can provide passengers with indoor directions, walk times to gates, lounge access and alerts about boarding. Knowing where a passenger is before sending information enables more effective communication. Beacons can help reduce congestion and bottlenecks, improving the passenger flow in airports by giving passengers accurate and timely information. In turn, that leads to smoother boarding and more on-time departures. Providing way-finding information also means that passengers know how long it will take to get to the gate, increasing the time they spend in the retail area, which is good news for the airport’s tenants. As part of its role of providing value to the air transport community, SITA has established the Common-Use Beacon Registry. Using this directory, airlines, retailers and other service-providers across the world can provide beacon-based services over shared infrastructure. As well as reducing the cost of installing beacons, the IT is simpler and eliminates the need for everyone to manage their own beacons.
Inmarsat, a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announced that Hawaiian Airlines is now the first commercial airline to fly with its SwiftBroadband Safety service on its Boeing 767-300 fleet. The first flight took place on June 3 after the Supplemental Type Certificate for the service was awarded.
Wanna see an incredible B787-9 take-off in Moses Lake, WA? Looks like ninety degrees vertical to us – don’t miss this! –
FORECAST INTERNATIONAL projects 26,676 large commercial airliners worth $4,230b will be manufactured by Boeing, Airbus, UAC, Bombardier and COMAC over next 15 years.
Lastly, Trying to learn ABOUT code? This is a great piece of work – Paul Ford: What is Code? | Bloomberg
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.”