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Inmarsat Aviation
and SITAONAIR to jointly
invest in the future of
aviation cockpit
communications
19 October 2016
Inmarsat has
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to
appoint SITAONAIR as a
distribution partner for
its next generation
SwiftBroadband-Safety
aviation service.
A pre-agreement
between the two
companies has outlined
the intention for
SITAONAIR to supply
commercial airlines and
business aviation
operators with
SwiftBroadband-Safety,
an advanced new service
from Inmarsat that will
transform cockpit and
aircraft operations.
SwiftBroadband-Safety
represents a paradigm
shift in the advancement
of aviation safety
services by utilising
secure IP-based
broadband connectivity
that far exceeds the
capabilities of other
alternatives in the
market. The ‘always on
and always secure’
solution enables a range
of breakthrough aviation
applications, including
flight data streaming
(‘Black Box in the
Cloud’) and real-time
Electronic Flight Bag
applications, such as
networked graphical
weather.
It also enables
air traffic management
modernisation programmes
throughout the world and
fulfils the requirements
of the International
Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO)’s
Global Aeronautical
Distress Safety System
(GADSS), including
flight tracking, by
offering reliable and
secure satellite
surveillance and
communications
(FANS/ACARS).
SwiftBroadband-Safety
hardware is available
for initial retrofit
installation on existing
aircraft today and is
scheduled to become a
standard option on new
aircraft deliveries from
2018. The service builds
on Inmarsat’s reputation
as a provider of
high-quality voice and
data service to 95% of
the world’s
trans-oceanic aircraft
fleet.
Inmarsat’s MoU
with SITAONAIR marks the
latest expansion of a
successful partnership
between both companies.
SITAONAIR is currently a
major distributor of
Inmarsat’s Classic Aero
satellite communications
service and will now be
able to provide
migration options for
existing customers to
SwiftBroadband-Safety.
It also provides the
global aviation industry
with access to
Inmarsat’s current
in-flight broadband
service, SwiftBroadband,
and its next generation
offering for commercial
airlines (GX Aviation)
and business aviation
(JetConneX).
SwiftBroadband-Safety
has received a lot of
industry support that
has reinforced its
status as the flightdeck
communications platform
for the future,
including its recent
selection by Airbus for
its A320 and A330
aircraft families, and
successful ongoing
trials by Hawaiian
Airlines.
Frederik van
Essen, Inmarsat
Aviation’s Senior Vice
President of Strategy
and Business
Development, said:
“SITAONAIR has been a
trusted partner of
Inmarsat for over 25
years. Together we have
been providing benefits
for the wider airline
industry, such as
enhancing trans-oceanic
flights, optimising
routes and reducing fuel
consumption. We plan to
continue this progress
in the future as the
benefits of secure
broadband are brought
into the cockpit. “The aircraft is now a fully connected node of the airline’s IT network. Inmarsat is the only global provider to offer both reliable, secure cockpit communications as well as the most advanced passenger connectivity, allowing our airline customers to customise data solutions.” David Lavorel,
CEO of SITAONAIR, said:
“SwiftBroadband-Safety
is a transformational
step for the industry
and we are proud to
include it in our
service portfolio as a
powerful enabler of
SITAONAIR’s nose-to-tail
connectivity solutions.
Through our engagement
with the airlines,
SITAONAIR believes the
industry is ready to
embrace
SwiftBroadband-Safety’s
secure IP-based services
to the cockpit. We are
developing services and
applications that will
leverage this secure
IP-based communications
services platform to
enhance both safety and
operational efficiency.
“We aim to offer
simple service packages
that include generous
data allowances to
ensure that managing
crew communication costs
becomes much simpler and
enable airlines to fully
unleash the potential of
next generation cockpit
and air traffic control
technology. These
packages will also power
global worldwide flight
tracking at no
additional connectivity
cost. We are pleased to
extend and expand our
work with Inmarsat in
delivering this new
capability.”
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