Back to Regional e-Newsletter LAC H1 2009
The importance of airline communication technology
Adriana Mattos
Business Development Manager
Air Traffic Control Management
Since the advent of economic expansion from last decade, the regional fleet has being expanded and modernized by Industry. It is a fact that the main airframe manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing are delivering a new fleet with fully functioning air-ground communication capabilities, thereby generating continual growth in data link service demand as owners maintain their existing data link business models or implement increasingly sophisticated automated aircraft-ground applications using the IT capabilities in the aircraft and at the gate.
Of course the downturn impact on regional airlines will affect their plans like everywhere, however, maybe for the first time; the choices for right communication technologies will become really relevant for industry survival in this region.
SITA launched AIRCOM™ to serve the airline industry. Its success now embraces satellite communications providers, aircraft and avionics manufacturers, in-flight entertainment providers and the air traffic control community. AIRCOM™ is used by more airlines than any other aircraft digital communications service - so our own evolution provides leadership for the industry as a whole.
The SITA AIRCOM group assists in explaining to these potential new AIRCOM customers what their aircraft equipment can do. We're also active in advising them on ways of initiating air-ground data link communications and implementing operationally useful applications such as movement messages, weather updates to cockpit, engine monitoring, and the growing number of ATC data link applications.
For instance, when looking at satellite-based communications scenario, we can detect a real increase on fleet equipped with FANS data link avionics and satellite avionics and with launch of ADS CPDLC services by Air Navigation Service Providers in Chile and Brazil that are addressing extensive air space areas under their responsibility in both Pacific and South Atlantic. The relative use of data link contacts over HF voice contacts has grown exponentially. But until all aircraft have satellite systems onboard it will not be possible to begin HF regression.
As a rule, Inmarsat satellite-based avionics have been considered too expensive to be fitted to all aircraft in the fleet, and only cover between 80° N/S (though this does account for the vast majority of airborne traffic). But now, the emergence of the new Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite service, which provides cost-competitive global coverage including the poles, is creating new opportunities and those opportunities are available for our airlines too.
Finally our sensitive air transport may be hardly impacted by recent facts linked to swine influenza and this will require readiness and pro-activeness attitude from SITA's regional staff on the use of AIRCOM service and ACARS data link, as we acknowledge more and more inquiries and technical questions from our current and potential costumers.
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